Good cholesterol may reduce Alzhemier's risk

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

Mild Alzheimer's patients to get treatment on NHS

BBC News reported that following a U-turn by the health watchdog, patients in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease could get drug treatments that were previously only available to patients with more advanced cases.

NICE has now given new draft guidance for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease that people with mild symptoms should also get the drugs and recommends a 4th drug, Ebixa, for patients with severe Alzheimer's. The final decision will be made later this year.

Latest data shows that about 380,000 people in England and Wales have Alzheimer's and more than 50% are estimated to have mild to moderately severe disease.