High Cholesterol In Your 40s Increases Risk Of Alzheimer's Disease

People with high
cholesterol in their early 40s are more likely to develop Alzheimer's
disease than those with low cholesterol, according to research that will be
presented at the upcoming American Academy of Neurology 60th Anniversary
Annual Meeting in Chicago, April 12-19, 2008.



"Our findings show it would be best for both physicians and patients to
attack high cholesterol levels in their 40s to reduce the risk of
dementia," said study author Alina Solomon, MD, with the University of
Kuopio in Finland. Solomon collaborated with Rachel Whitmer, PhD, senior
author of the study and a research scientist with Kaiser Permanente
Division of Research in Oakland, CA.



The study involved 9,752 men and women in northern California who
underwent health evaluations between 1964 and 1973 when they were between
the ages of 40 and 45 and remained with the same health plan through 1994.
From 1994 to 2007, researchers obtained the participants' most recent
medical records to find 504 people had a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease
and 162 had vascular dementia.



The study found people with total cholesterol levels between 249 and
500 milligrams were one-and-a-half times more likely to develop Alzheimer's
disease than those people with cholesterol levels of less than 198
milligrams. People with total cholesterol levels of 221 to 248 milligrams
were more than one-and-a-quarter times more likely to develop Alzheimer's
disease.



"High mid-life cholesterol increased the risk of Alzheimer's disease
regardless of midlife diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, smoking and
late-life stroke," said Solomon.



Solomon says conclusions regarding high mid-life cholesterol and the
risk of vascular dementia were difficult to formulate as there are several
types of vascular dementia that may have slightly different risk factors.



The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 21,000
neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to improving
patient care through education and research. A neurologist is a doctor with
specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the
brain and nervous system such as Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, multiple
sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and stroke.



For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit
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