Vishnupriya
Older adults, whose cholesterol levels fluctuate over time are linked to a higher risk of dementia, suggests a new study. The study found that older adults with cholesterol fluctuation are more prone to developing dementia compared to those with stable cholesterol. And this is regardless of their real cholesterol levels. The finding was published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
The study only shows an association and does not prove that changing cholesterol causes dementia. “These results suggest that fluctuating cholesterol, measured annually, maybe a new biomarker for identifying people at risk of dementia, providing more information than the actual cholesterol levels measured at a single time point,” study author Zhen Zhou, PhD, of Monash University in Melbourne, Australia said in a statement.
The study had 9,846 participants with an average age of 74 who did not have dementia or other memory problems. Their cholesterol levels were measured at the beginning of the study and then during three annual visits. Participants were followed for an average of 5.5 years after the third visit. They took tests of memory skills annually.
The participants who took cholesterol medications, called statins, were allowed in the study unless they stopped or started taking the drugs during the measurement period for cholesterol.
The researchers further divided the participants into four equal groups based on the amount of change between their first and fourth cholesterol measurements. The average difference between consecutive yearly measurements was 91 mg/dL in the group with the highest change in total cholesterol and 22 mg/dL in the group with the lowest change.
509 people developed dementia, during the study. Among the 2,408 people in the group with the highest change in total cholesterol, 147 developed dementia, equating to a rate of 11.3 per 1,000 person-years. 98 of the 2,437 individuals in the group with the lowest change developed dementia, with a rate of 7.1 per 1,000 person-years. Person-years represent both the number of people in the study and the amount of time each person spends in the study.
After adjusting the other factors that influence the risk of dementia, such as age, smoking status, and high blood pressure, the researchers found that those in the high-change group were 60% more likely to develop dementia compared to the low-change group.
They also found a link between fluctuating cholesterol levels and cognitive impairment or memory problems that did not meet the criteria for dementia. The researchers also found a link between fluctuating LDL cholesterol, or “bad” cholesterol, and the risk of dementia and cognitive impairment.
“Older people’s cholesterol should be monitored for changes over time to help identify people who may be at risk of cognitive impairment or dementia and could benefit from interventions, which could include lifestyle changes or making sure they start or keep taking statin to prevent fluctuations in their cholesterol and potentially reduce the risk of dementia,” Zhou added.
(Pic courtesy: iStock)
