Having high levels of ‘good’ cholesterol could increase your risk of dementia, a new study has revealed.
Researchers from Monash University in Australia say that HDL cholesterol, normally beneficial to you, can have a downside.
They believe high levels are the result of a metabolic disorder, not diet, and would largely affect those over 75, increasing their risk by around 42 percent.
They say that the findings may help doctors to recognize a group of older patients potentially at risk of dementia.
Published in The Lancet Regional Health – Western Pacific, this is one of the largest studies of elevated HDL-C levels and dementia in initially healthy older people aged mostly over 70.
Participants were from the Aspirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE) study a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of daily aspirin in healthy older people.
Over an average of 6.3 years, participants with very high HDL-C at study entry were observed to have a 27 percent higher risk of dementia compared to participants with optimal HDL-C levels, while those aged 75 years and older also showed a 42 percent increased risk compared to those with optimal levels.
The optimal level of HDL-C was generally beneficial for heart health.
Among 18,668 participants included in this analysis, 2709 had very high HDL-C at study entry, with 38 incidents of dementia in those aged less than 75 years with very high levels, and 101 in those aged 75 and more with very high levels.
First author and Monash University School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine senior research fellow Dr. Monira Hussain said that further research was needed to explain why a very high HDL cholesterol level appeared to affect the risk of dementia.
Dr. Hussain said these study findings could help improve our understanding of the mechanisms behind dementia, but more research was required.
She said: “While we know HDL cholesterol is important for cardiovascular health, this study suggests that we need further research to understand the role of very high HDL cholesterol in the context of brain health.
“It may be beneficial to consider very high HDL cholesterol levels in prediction algorithms for dementia risk.”
Produced in association with SWNS Talker
