Cholesterol Fluctuations Increase Dementia Risk

According to new research published in the online issue of Neurology, older persons with fluctuating levels of cholesterol and triglycerides may be at a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. While the study discovered a relationship, it does not establish that high cholesterol and triglyceride levels increase dementia risk.

“Prevention strategies for Alzheimer’s and related dementias are urgently needed,” said study author Suzette J. Bielinski, Ph.D., of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. “Routine screenings for cholesterol and triglyceride levels are commonly done as part of standard medical care. Fluctuations in these results over time could potentially help us identify who is at greater risk for dementia, help us understand mechanisms for the development of dementia and ultimately determine whether leveling out these fluctuations could play a role in reducing dementia risk.

Researchers analyzed health-care data to identify 11,571 persons aged 60 and up who had not previously been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. Researchers examined participants’ total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) levels on at least three different days in the five years preceding the study’s start.

The subjects were then separated into five equal groups based on how much the measurements changed. The lowest group experienced the least fluctuation over time, whereas the highest group experienced the most variation.

For an average of 13 years, participants were tracked. During that time, 2,473 persons were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or another kind of dementia.

After controlling for characteristics such as gender, race, education, and lipid-lowering medicines, researchers discovered that participants in the top group had a 19% greater risk of dementia compared to those in the lowest category for total cholesterol. 515 persons in the highest group acquired dementia, compared to 483 in the lowest group of 2,311. Those in the highest category had a 23% higher risk of having elevated triglycerides.

The researchers discovered no association between LDL and HDL changes and an increased dementia risk.

It remains unclear why and how fluctuating levels of cholesterol and triglycerides are related to the risk of Alzheimer’s disease,” said Bielinski. “Further studies looking at the changes over time for this relationship are needed in order to confirm our results and potentially consider preventative strategies.”

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