Typically, dementia is associated with classic symptoms like confusion and memory loss. But new research finds that there could be a less obvious risk factor out there: your cholesterol levels.
The preliminary study results, which were presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions last month, suggest that significant changes to a person’s cholesterol levels in a short period of time could put you at a higher risk of developing dementia.
The two may seem completely unrelated, but there is an association. Here’s what you need to know.
Meet the experts: Clifford Segil, DO, a neurologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California. Sean R. Mendez, MD, a cardiologist at NewYork-Presbyterian Medical Group Brooklyn.
What did the study find?
The study analyzed data from nearly 10,000 people who were enrolled in a randomized clinical trial, looking into the impact of low-dose aspirin on reducing heart disease risk in Australian and American adults. The researchers concluded that aspirin is not effective for lowering heart disease risk. (The study mostly focused on white adults, so this may not be applicable to everyone.)
About one-third of the participants were taking a cholesterol-lowering medication during the study, but no one started or stopped their medication during the follow-up. During six years of yearly follow-ups, 509 participants were diagnosed with dementia and 1,760 developed cognitive decline without a dementia diagnosis.
The researchers discovered that people who had high fluctuations in their cholesterol levels had a 60 percent higher risk of developing dementia and a 23 percent greater risk of cognitive decline. Those who had stable cholesterol levels, on the other hand, lower risks of dementia or cognitive decline.
Does my cholesterol affect my dementia risk?
There is a link between having high cholesterol levels and a greater risk of developing certain types of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia, according to the National Institute on Aging (NIA). But it’s not clear how these two are related, given that cholesterol doesn’t actually enter the brain.
Still, there are some theories. “Cholesterol level is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease,” says Clifford Segil, DO, a neurologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California. As a result, high cholesterol can rise your risk of stroke.
One form of dementia—called vascular dementia—is caused by regular small strokes, he points out. “Fluctuating cholesterol levels may therefore cause fluctuating risk for strokes,” Segil says. With that, high cholesterol may raise the risk of developing certain types of dementia, he says.
What are fluctuating cholesterol levels?
Fluctuating cholesterol levels means that a person has cholesterol levels that change significantly in a short period of time, like from year to year.
“The reason it fluctuates is unclear, but is often thought to be due to changes in lifestyle or other underlying health conditions,” says Sean R. Mendez, MD, a cardiologist at NewYork-Presbyterian Medical Group Brooklyn.
But this isn’t common, Segil says. “In clinical practice, I have never seen fluctuating annual cholesterol levels in patients not on lipid-lowering medications,” he says. (Lipids are fatty compounds, and cholesterol is a type of lipid.)
How can I improve my cholesterol?
Your cholesterol levels are influenced by a range of things, including your diet, age, and genetics. While you can’t change your genes or your age, there are some lifestyle tweaks that may be helpful for managing your cholesterol. The American Heart Association recommends these:
- Eat heart-healthy foods like a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, fatty fish, and plant-based sources of protein.
- Be physically active.
- Try to reach and maintain a healthy weight.
- Avoid smoking.
Specifically, Mendez recommends 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise per week and a cholesterol-lowering diet, like the Mediterranean, DASH, vegetarian, or vegan diets.
If you have high cholesterol and lifestyle tweaks don’t help, the AHA notes that some people need to take medicine to lower their levels.
Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a master’s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.
