Cholesterol is a fat-like substance in our blood that our bodies need to build cells and make certain hormones.
While often associated with heart health, a recent study now ties levels of a certain type of cholesterol – high-density lipoprotein (HDL), often dubbed the “good” cholesterol – to dementia in older adults.
The Surprising Discovery: Small Increase in Dementia Risk
The study, which saw the light of day in the October 4, 2023, online issue of Neurology, involved a whopping 184,367 folks from the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Health Plan.
With an average age of 70 and no initial signs of dementia, participants provided health data and had their cholesterol levels checked typically 2.5 times in two years. Over an average follow-up of nine years, 25,214 participants developed dementia.
This study demonstrated a fascinating, albeit modest, increase in dementia risk at both high and low levels of HDL cholesterol.
To clarify, those with the highest levels had a 15% higher rate, while those with the lowest levels had a 7% higher rate of developing dementia, compared to individuals with mid-range levels.
Maria Glymour, ScD, of Boston University, highlighted the significance and comprehensiveness of the study, noting that while the increases in dementia risk are slight and their clinical importance still unclear, this data sheds new light on the complex relationship between HDL cholesterol and not just dementia, but also heart disease and cancer.
Breaking Down the Cholesterol-Dementia Connection
Although the above findings present a link between HDL cholesterol levels and dementia, it’s crucial to underline that this doesn’t prove that HDL cholesterol levels cause dementia. Instead, it only illustrates a connection, an association.
Also of note, this study found only a weak association between low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or “bad” cholesterol) and dementia risk.
Considering a healthy HDL cholesterol level is above 40 mg/dL for males and above 50 mg/dL for females, with the study participants’ average being 53.7 mg/dL, the analysis also accounted for other potential dementia risk influencers like alcohol use, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes, ensuring a focused look at the impact of HDL cholesterol levels.
Moving Forward: Navigating Cholesterol and Cognitive Health
In future endeavors, researchers will likely dive deeper into the perplexing relationships between cholesterol types, cognitive health, and other health conditions.
For now, individuals and healthcare professionals have another piece of the puzzle to consider when it comes to managing not only heart health but also long-term cognitive wellbeing.
The study does bear the limitation that participants voluntarily took part in the survey, so they might not perfectly mirror the larger population.
Nevertheless, it carves out a new avenue for understanding, preventing, and managing dementia and fortifies the idea that the narrative of cholesterol in our health story might be more intricate than once thought.
While science continues to unwrap the mysteries of dementia and cognitive decline, studies like these are vital stepping stones, gradually paving the way toward a future where our golden years are not just longer but also mentally richer and more vibrant.
If you care about dementia, please read studies about how the Mediterranean diet could protect your brain health, and Vitamin B supplements could help reduce dementia risk.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies that high-fiber diet could help lower the dementia risk, and these antioxidants could help reduce dementia risk.
The research findings can be found in Neurology.
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