People who are at risk for heart disease may also be more likely to develop dementia, according to new research from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Scientists have now discovered a link between certain types of fat particles in the blood—called lipoproteins—and the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia.
This research was based on data from the famous Framingham Heart Study, which has been tracking the health of people in Framingham, Massachusetts, since 1948.
In this new analysis, scientists looked at the blood samples and health records of over 800 older adults. None of the participants had dementia at the beginning of the study, and they were followed for decades to see who would later develop Alzheimer’s.
The researchers found some surprising patterns. People with higher levels of a type of “bad” cholesterol called small dense LDL-C were more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.
Specifically, for every unit increase in this type of cholesterol, the risk of Alzheimer’s went up by 21%. Small dense LDL-C is known to be dangerous because it is more likely to clog arteries and contribute to heart disease. This finding suggests it may also play a role in brain health.
On the other hand, people with higher levels of a substance called ApoB48—a molecule that helps transport dietary fats from the gut into the bloodstream—were 22% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. This was unexpected, as ApoB48 is also linked to heart disease. It seems that not all fat-related particles have the same effect on the brain.
One particularly surprising result came from looking at HDL-C, often known as “good cholesterol.” In general, higher HDL-C is thought to protect against heart problems.
But in this study, people with the lowest HDL-C levels were 44% less likely to get Alzheimer’s compared to those with higher levels. Similarly, people with lower small dense LDL-C levels were 38% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s compared to those with higher levels.
Dr. Sokratis Charisis, the study’s lead author, explained that these findings show the relationship between blood fats, heart health, and brain health is more complicated than previously thought. Some lipids that are harmful to the heart may also harm the brain, but others may protect it in ways we don’t fully understand yet.
The researchers emphasized that their results don’t suggest people should try to lower their good cholesterol on purpose.
Instead, the study highlights the importance of looking more closely at different types of lipids when studying Alzheimer’s. It also raises the possibility that blood tests for cholesterol and other lipoproteins could one day help predict a person’s risk of developing dementia.
Of the 822 people included in the study, 128 developed Alzheimer’s during the follow-up period, which lasted until 2020. These results add to growing evidence that managing heart health is also important for brain health.
In summary, the study found that higher levels of small dense LDL-C were linked to higher Alzheimer’s risk, while higher levels of ApoB48 were linked to lower risk. Surprisingly, those with the lowest HDL-C levels had a lower Alzheimer’s risk compared to others.
These findings show that fats in the blood may play different roles in the development of heart disease and dementia. More research is needed to fully understand why.
The research team concluded that blood fat patterns could be useful for identifying people at risk of Alzheimer’s and that adjusting these levels might help prevent the disease in the future.
If you care about Alzheimer’s disease, please read studies that bad lifestyle habits can cause Alzheimer’s disease, and strawberries can be good defence against Alzheimer’s.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies that oral cannabis extract may help reduce Alzheimer’s symptoms, and Vitamin E may help prevent Parkinson’s disease.
The study is published in Neurology.
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