High and Low HDL Cholesterol Levels Linked to Risk of Dementia

High and low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) but not levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) are associated with an increased risk for dementia in older adults, a new study found.

METHODOLOGY:

  • Electronic health record and survey data on 184,367 Kaiser Permanente Northern California participants (median age 69.5 years) with no history of dementia were taken.

  • Cholesterol levels were measured within 2 years of survey completion.

TAKEAWAY:

  • There were 25,214 incident cases of dementia reported over an average follow-up of 8.77 years.

  • Dementia risk was significantly higher in people with low HDL-C (11-41 mg/dL; adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.07; 95% CI, 1.03-1.11) and high HDL-C (> 65 mg/dL; aHR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.11-1.20).

  • The study demonstrates an association between low and high levels of "good" cholesterol but not a causal link.

  • There was no significant association between LDL-C and dementia risk.

IN PRACTICE:

"These results support the conclusion that some lipoproteins may be modifiable risk factors for dementia, even in late life," the authors write.

SOURCE:

The study was conducted by Erin L. Ferguson, MPH, Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, California, and was funded by the National Institutes of Health. It was published online October 4, 2023 in Neurology.

LIMITATIONS:

There were no adjustments for APOE status and confounding and selection bias.

Article from medscape.com.

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