Middle-aged patients with low levels of HDL cholesterol are more at risk of memory loss and development of neurodegenerative disease in later life, research suggests.
A report published in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology: Journal of the American Heart Association revealed that out of 3,673 participants, those aged 55 with low HDL cholesterol levels were 27 per cent more likely to suffer memory loss than those with high levels of ‘good’ cholesterol.
While, at age 60, participants with low HDL had a 53 per cent increased risk of memory loss compared to the high HDL group.
Dr Archana Singh-Manoux, lead author of the study and senior research fellow with the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research, said: "Many previous investigations into the association between lipids and memory in the elderly have focused on total or LDL cholesterol because of their status as proven risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
"Our results show HDL cholesterol to be important for memory. Thus, physicians and patients should be encouraged to monitor levels of HDL cholesterol."
In older patients, memory loss is a prevalent yet often missed sign of dementia, including conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease.
