A recent study has found that high levels of HDL-C, also called “good cholesterol,” might increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease in women after menopause.
This is surprising because HDL-C is usually thought to protect our health. The research was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
The study was led by scientists from the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health. They found that after women go through menopause, the quality of their HDL cholesterol may become more important than the amount. As women age, the quality of these HDL particles goes down, which may affect brain health.
HDL particles come in different sizes and types, and they don’t all work the same way. The researchers studied blood samples from 503 women who took part in a long-term health study. They found that over time, women had more large HDL particles in their blood, but these large particles didn’t work as well as the smaller ones.
Between the years 2000 and 2016, the researchers tested the women’s memory and thinking skills regularly. They discovered that women who had more small HDL particles, especially those that had a lot of phospholipids (a type of healthy fat), did better on memory tests as they got older. Phospholipids help keep brain cells healthy.
Dr. Samar El Khoudary, the lead researcher and a professor at the University of Pittsburgh, said this is important because memory loss is one of the first signs of Alzheimer’s disease. Her team’s findings show that the quality of HDL cholesterol, not just the amount, might affect brain health during aging.
But there is good news. Earlier research by the same team found that healthy habits can make HDL particles work better. These habits include regular exercise, staying at a healthy weight, eating well, and not smoking. These steps are part of the American Heart Association’s “Life’s Essential 8” guidelines.
This means that even if a person has high levels of HDL, following a healthy lifestyle could still improve how well these particles work—and that could help protect the brain, not just the heart.
Dr. El Khoudary said that starting these healthy habits as early as your 40s could make a difference later in life. It’s never too early to protect your brain health by making better lifestyle choices.
The first author of the study was Dr. Meiyuzhen Qi, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Pittsburgh. Scientists from other top universities also helped with the study, including the University of Pennsylvania, UCLA, Rush University, and the University of Michigan.
Their findings add to growing evidence that cholesterol is closely connected to brain health. It’s becoming clear that not all cholesterol is the same, and how it works in the body—especially after menopause—can make a big difference.
If you want to learn more about brain health and Alzheimer’s, check out recent studies about what might cause Alzheimer’s, a non-drug treatment that could help prevent it, and the effects of diet and lifestyle changes. Some experts believe up to 12 types of changes in habits could help prevent dementia.
If you care about Alzheimer’s disease, please read studies about the protective power of dietary antioxidants against Alzheimer’s, and eating habits linked to higher Alzheimer’s risk.
For more health information, 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 The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
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