Previous research suggests a link between dementia and atherosclerosis, which results from the accumulation of cholesterol in blood vessels. These build-ups can occur in both the brain and body and increase the risk of forming small blood clots, which can lead to dementia.
In the current study, researchers investigated dementia risk among people with cholesterol-lowering generic variants that target the same proteins as cholesterol-lowering drugs like statins and ezetimibe. Studying the effects of cholesterol on dementia risk in this way allowed the researchers to minimize influence from external factors like weight, diet, or lifestyle.
For the study, the researchers analyzed data from over 1 million individuals from Denmark, England, and Finland. They found that genetic lowering of non-HDL cholesterol via certain genetic variants was linked to a lower risk of dementia. A decrease in cholesterol levels of around one millimole per liter was linked to a maximum 80% reduced dementia risk among certain drug-related variants.
While the results suggest that keeping cholesterol levels low may protect against dementia, it does not confirm whether cholesterol-lowering drugs prevent the disease. The study's applicability to other ethnic groups may also be limited as it only included White Europeans.
"It would be a really good next step to carry out randomized clinical trials over 10 or 30 years, for example, where you give the participants cholesterol-lowering medication and then look at the risk of developing dementia," said lead author of the study, Dr. Liv Tybjærg Nordestgaard of the Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Copenhagen University Hospital, in a press release.
Sources: Science Daily, Alzheimer's & Dementia
