Dementia risk rises by 42% with high ‘good cholesterol’, scientists claim

01 January 2024 , 22:14

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Scientists have made a discovery that 'good cholesterol' is linked to an enormous 42% rise of risk of developing dementia (Image: Getty Images/Image Source)

Scientists have made a discovery that 'good cholesterol' is linked to an enormous 42% increased risk of dementia in older people with very high levels of HDL.

Having low cholesterol is often associated with a multitude of health benefits, especially for the cardiovascular system. Alas, according to research published in a Lancet journal, the Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) can severely impact the human mind.

Over a six-year period, the academics tracked an enormous field of 18,668 cognitively healthy study participants, all aged 65 or over. However, during the experiment, 850 participants (4.6%) were diagnosed with cognitive dementia.

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If at a desirable level, HDL can successfully remove cholesterol from people's arteries. However, if the rates rise to very high levels, HDL's structure and behaviour changes. The scientists confirmed that it: “May become deleterious to health” in several different ways.

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Scientists have made a breakthrough discovery on high cholesterol levels (Getty Images)

The intellectuals claimed those with extremely high levels of HDL were significantly more likely to develop dementia than those with optimal levels. Their study exhibited that the oldest participants, aged 75 or over, with the highest levels of HDL, were 42% more likely to be diagnosed with the illness. On the contrary, those with normal levels only had a 27% increased chance of having dementia.

An HDL level of 40mg/dl or higher in male adults is considered healthy; for women, the rates rise to 50 mg/dl. However, a number of 80 mg/dl or higher is considered to be in a worrying bracket.

good cholesterol is linked to dementia (Getty Images/Science Photo Library RF)

Upon the conclusion of their research, the academics wrote that the increased dementia risk from high HDL levels: “Appeared to be independent of traditional dementia risk factors, including physical activity level, alcohol intake, education, diabetes or smoking, ”in addition to genetic influences.

However, they're yet to reach a conclusion as to why high HDL levels are linked to dementia in the first place. Therefore, they've deemed it necessary to conduct a further experiment in order to put the mystery to bed once and for all.

James Sweetnam