A new study claims that high levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or ‘good’ cholesterol could lower the risks of developing Alzheimer’s disease in older adults,
US researchers studied 1,130 randomly selected elderly people aged 65 and over and had no history of memory trouble or dementia. The participants were follwoed for an average of four years. Researchers found that those with the highest HDL counts, over 55 mg/dL, had about a 60% reduced risk of developing the disease compared to those whose levels were under 39 mg/dL. The study author said that the result suggested that higher level of good cholesterol decreases the risk of Alzheimer's disease, but the mechanism is unknown.
It was noted that a previous study published in Neurology in 2001 found that Japanese-American men with higher HDL cholesterol were more likely to have Alzheimer's-related plagues and tangles in their brains.
Alzheimer's Society (UK) said until now, studies have focused on the associations between 'good' cholesterol and vascular dementia....... More research is needed to fully understand the link between HDL cholesterol and the processes that lead to Alzheimer's Disease.
Source:'Association of Higher Levels of High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol in Elderly Individuals and Lower Risk of Late-Onset Alzheimer Disease'. Archives of Neurology. 2010;67(12):1491-1497. doi:10.1001/archneurol.2010.297
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