Lower Bad Cholesterol Levels to Combat Alzheimer’s and Dementia
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Synopsis
A recent study reveals that lowering bad cholesterol levels is vital for reducing the risk of Alzheimer's and dementia. Maintaining LDL-C below 1.8 mmol/L can significantly decrease these risks, highlighting the importance of cholesterol management in cognitive health.
Key Takeaways
- Lowering LDL-C can reduce dementia risk.
- LDL-C below 1.8 mmol/L is crucial for cognitive health.
- Statin use offers additional protection for low LDL-C individuals.
- Research highlights the importance of cholesterol management.
- Observational study reveals key insights into dementia risks.
New Delhi, April 2 (NationPress) Reducing bad blood cholesterol not only benefits your heart but is also essential in preventing Alzheimer’s and dementia, as highlighted by a recent study.
The research, published in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, indicated that maintaining low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), commonly referred to as bad cholesterol, below 1.8 mmol/L correlated with a 26 percent decrease in the risk of all-cause dementia.
Furthermore, it resulted in a 28 percent reduction in the risk of dementia associated with Alzheimer’s when compared to LDL-C levels exceeding 3.4 millimoles per litre (mmol/L).
Additionally, researchers at Hallym University College of Medicine in South Korea noted that the use of statins provided an extra layer of protection for those with low LDL-C, particularly for individuals with levels below 1.8 mmol/L.
Among subjects with LDL-C levels under 1.8 mmol/L, statin use was linked to a 13 percent reduction in the risk of all-cause dementia and a 12 percent decrease in Alzheimer’s-related dementia risk compared to non-users.
“Low LDL-C levels (less than 1.8 mmol/L) are significantly linked to a reduced risk of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease-related dementia, with statin therapy offering additional protective effects,” stated the research team.
“These findings highlight the importance of managing LDL-C to lower dementia risk,” they added.
For this study, the researchers analyzed 192,213 individuals with LDL-C levels below 1.8 mmol/L and 379,006 patients with levels above 3.4 mmol/L, creating 108,980 matched pairs.
The protective effect against cognitive decline diminished at lower LDL-C levels and eventually vanished.
At LDL-C levels beneath 1.4 mmol/L, there was an 18 percent risk reduction for both all-cause dementia and Alzheimer’s disease-related dementia compared to levels above 3.4 mmol/L, and when LDL-C dropped below 0.8 mmol/L, the risk reductions disappeared.
“This is an observational study, and thus, no definitive conclusions can be made regarding cause and effect,” the researchers noted, while recognizing limitations such as the focus on baseline LDL-C levels despite possible changes in lipid profiles over time.
