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Good cholesterol good for the ageing mind
Wed Aug 6 2008The study of around 3,700 British women and men found that low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol were associated with memory decline by the age of 61. Globally, rates of Alzheimer's are increasing, prompting scientists to explore risk factors in a bid to improve prevention of the disease.
Lead study author, Dr Archana Singh-Manoux of the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research and the University College London, said, 'Considering the way the population is ageing – the 65-plus age group being the fastest-growing age group – we are facing a dementia time bomb'.
Blood cholesterol readings and results from a basic memory test were taken when study participants were 55 years old (on average) and six years later when the average age was 61 years old.
Participants with low HDL cholesterol (less than 40 mg per decilitre) at the age of 55 displayed a 27 per cent higher risk of memory loss than their counterparts with high HDL (at least 60 mg per decilitre). By the age of 60, participants with low HDL had a 53 per cent higher risk of memory loss than those in the high HDL category.
HDL cholesterol is generally associated with health benefits as it takes excess cholesterol back to the liver for waste management. In contrast, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol can accumulate in the artery walls, narrowing and hardening them.
Although unable to explain why higher levels of HDL protect memory function, Singh-Manoux theorised that it may be because it defends against the formation of beta-amyloid plaques in the brain which are key indicators of Alzheimer's disease.
Professor Henry Brodaty, director of the Dementia Collaborative Research Centre in NSW, commented, 'People who have high levels of cholesterol have higher rates of Alzheimer's disease several years later', and added, of the study, 'It's an interesting finding. The good cholesterol may have an effect in lowering the level of Abeta production, which is a factor in Alzheimer's disease. There is a general maxim in this field, 'What's good for your heart is good for your brain', and here is more evidence for that'.
Source: Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology
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