A new study published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry has found that lower levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) may be associated with a reduced risk of dementia. Researchers analyzed data from 11 university hospitals and discovered that people with LDL-C levels below 1.8 mmol/L had a significantly lower risk of developing dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.
The study found that statin therapy provided additional protection against dementia in individuals with low LDL-C levels. However, reducing LDL-C to extremely low levels did not offer further benefits for cognitive health.
Moderate reductions in LDL-C levels were found to be associated with a 26% reduction in the risk of all-cause dementia and a 28% reduction in the risk of Alzheimer’s disease-related dementia compared to individuals with higher LDL-C levels. Statin use was also linked to an additional 13% reduction in all-cause dementia risk and a 12% decrease in risk of Alzheimer’s disease-related dementia.
While this study has limitations, including its retrospective design and potential for unmeasured confounding factors, the findings suggest that managing LDL-C levels may play a crucial role in lowering dementia risk.
Source: https://scitechdaily.com/the-cholesterol-sweet-spot-that-shields-your-brain-from-dementia