People who have even slightly elevated cholesterol when they are middle-aged have a higher risk of dementia later on, according to a new research as quoted by media Wednesday.
Writing in the journal Dementia & Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, the study of nearly 10,000 people found that those with high cholesterol in their 40s -- a reading of 240 or higher -- had a 66 percent higher risk of Alzheimer's disease 40 years later. The team at the University of Kuopio in Finland and Kaiser Permanente's Division of Research reported on Tuesday.
"Our study shows that even moderately high cholesterol levels in your 40s puts people at greater risk for Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia decades later," Rachel Whitmer of the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, California, said in a statement.
"Considering that nearly 100 million Americans have either high or borderline cholesterol levels, this is a disturbing finding. The good news here is that what is good for the heart is also good for the mind and this is an early risk factor for dementia that can be modified and managed by lowering cholesterol through healthy lifestyle changes."
Exercise and healthy diet can help lower cholesterol, as can drugs. |
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