A new study published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry suggests that lower levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in the blood are associated with a reduced risk of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease-related dementia.
Researchers found that individuals with LDL-C levels below 1.8 mmol/L (or 70 mg/dL) had a 26% lower risk of developing all-cause dementia and a 28% lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease-related dementia compared to those with higher LDL-C levels, above 3.4 mmol/L (130 mg/dL). Furthermore, the study revealed that the protective effect of low LDL-C levels plateaued at 1.4 mmol/L (55 mg/dL), with no additional benefit observed for dementia risk reduction when LDL-C levels fell below 0.8 mmol/L (30 mg/dL).
The study also highlighted an additional benefit for those using statins. Among participants with LDL-C levels under 1.8 mmol/L, statin use was linked to a 13% reduction in all-cause dementia risk and a 12% decrease in the risk of Alzheimer’s disease-related dementia.
Despite these promising findings, the study, which followed 571,219 individuals across 11 university hospitals, acknowledges its observational nature. As such, it cannot definitively prove causation. The authors note some study limitations, including the potential influence of unmeasured confounding factors and the variations in diagnostic accuracy across different hospitals.
“Low LDL-C levels (<70 mg/dL or <1.8 mmol/L) are significantly associated with a reduced risk of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease-related dementia,” the researchers concluded. “Statin therapy provides additional protective effects, reinforcing the importance of managing LDL-C levels in lowering dementia risk.”
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