Alzheimer’s affects 850,000 people in the UK, with this number expected to grow to 1.5 million by the year 2040¹. It is estimated that dementia costs the NHS £26 billion per year in diagnostic tests, treatments and social care².
But beyond the facts and figures is the huge impact Alzheimer’s can have on an individual and their family once the diagnosis is given. Currently, there is no cure for dementia and prevention is the best line of defence. That is why a recent landmark research paper in The Lancet has been met with much optimism.
Published in June 2021, it demonstrated that high cholesterol levels are associated with an increased risk of developing dementia. Blood lipids, which encompass our cholesterol and triglyceride levels, are important to your health for many reasons. An elevation, or an abnormal ratio of lipids (dyslipidemia), has a known association with conditions such as heart disease, hypertension and stroke³. The research conducted shows, for the first time, a significant relationship between increased levels of blood lipids and the risk of developing dementia. The key findings of the study are discussed below, as well as the impact it could have on health services.
Dementia
Dementia is an all encompassing umbrella term for many different conditions, such as Alzhemier’s disease or vascular dementia. It is associated with declining brain function, characterised by memory loss, changes in personality, mood, language skills and behaviour⁴. Risk factors for dementia can be broken down into preventable or non-preventable groups. Preventable risk factors include smoking status, obesity and alcohol intake whereas non-preventable risk factors include your genetic⁵. It’s one of the leading causes of disability and death in the world and it’s estimated that by 2050, 1 in 50 of us globally will suffer from dementia¹. Though recognised as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, limited data has been produced to identify dyslipidemia (abnormal lipid levels) as a recognised reversible risk factor for dementia.
Cholesterol
In the simplest terms, cholesterol is a fatty substance which is an essential part of our bodies. It’s formed from fatty acids that are absorbed through the intestine and it’s mainly made in the liver⁶.
Total cholesterol is made up of different types of cholesterol which each have varying roles and functions. The main types of cholesterol are Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL), a.k.a. “bad” cholesterol, High Density Lipoproteins (HDL), a.k.a. “good” cholesterol, and triglycerides which is the main type of fat⁷. Cholesterol is an essential building block for the body, however differences in the amounts of these cholesterols can lead to cholesterol buildup in the cardiovascular system and lead to cardiovascular disease. Though possible, buildup of cholesterol is often hard to reverse, so early detection and prevention is often best by leading an active, healthy lifestyle.
Previous research
Several studies have previously looked at the relationship between lipid levels and the risk of developing dementia. The main criticism of these studies, however, has been that the length of time participants were followed-up was too short. Other studies have shown a relationship between dyslipidemia and dementia but the number of people within the study has come under scrutiny and the significance of results is debated.
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