lowering Cholesterol May reduce Dementia Risk, Large Study Suggests
A major international study, led by researchers atโ theโ University of Bristol, indicates a potential link between lower cholesterol levels and a โreduced โคrisk of dementia. Analyzing data from over oneโข million participants,the research found โindividualsโ with genetic โฃtraits that naturallyโฃ lower cholesterolโฃ were less likely to develop the condition.
Theโ study, published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: โคThe Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, wasโ spearheaded by Dr. Liv Tybjรฆrg Nordestgaard during herโฃ time at the University of Bristol and Copenhagen university Hospital. Researchersโค utilized a technique called Mendelian Randomization, which โleverages genetic variations to mimic the effects of cholesterol-lowering treatments like statins โฃand ezetimibe, minimizing the impact of lifestyle factors.
The findings revealed that even a small decrease inโฃ cholesterol – approximately oneโ millimole per liter – correlatedโค with up to an 80% reduction inโ dementia risk for specific genetic targets related to thes drugs. “What our โขstudy indicates is that if you have these variants that โlower your โฃcholesterol,โ it looks like you have aโฃ significantly lower risk of โdeveloping dementia,” explained Dr. Nordestgaard, now โคat Copenhagen University Hospital – โฃBispebjerg and Frederiksberg hospital.
While theโค results suggest a protective affect of low cholesterol, โขwhether achieved through genetics or medication, โขthe study โคdoesn’t definitively โprove that cholesterol-lowering drugs prevent โขdementia. Researchers believe high cholesterol mayโค contribute to atherosclerosis – the buildup of fatty deposits in blood vessels – potentially leadingโ to small blood clots, a known cause of dementia.
Dr. Nordestgaard emphasizes the need for long-term randomized clinical trials, potentially spanning 10-30 years, to directly assess the impact ofโ cholesterol-lowering medication on dementia risk.
The study drew upon dataโ from several large-scale datasets including the UKโ Biobank, the Copenhagen General Population Study, the Copenhagen City Heart study,โ the FinnGen study, and the global Lipids โคGenetics โขConsortium. Funding was provided by the Medicalโ Researchโ Council, Independent Research Fund Denmark, and Research โCouncil at the Capital Regionโ of Denmark.