Good cholesterol has little-known impact on dementia

More than 55 million people have dementia worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), and every year there are nearly 10 million new cases. Known risk factors include lack of physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, diet, etc.

HDL cholesterol and dementia

A study published in the journal The Lancet Regional Health adds a hitherto little-known factor to this list: good cholesterol. In the blood, the Cholesterol circulates freely thanks to two proteins: high-density lipoproteins (HDL) which correspond to good cholesterol and low-density lipoproteins (LDL) for bad cholesterol.

During their work, the researchers followed a group of 18,668 people aged 65 years and over. After six years of follow-up, 850 cases of dementia (or 4.6%) were recorded by the scientists. But what was the impact of HDL cholesterol?

The researchers observed that participants who had high HDL cholesterol levels, that is, greater than 80 mg/dL of blood, had a 27% higher risk of dementia.

Good cholesterol: 42% risk of dementia in those aged 75 and over

In participants aged 75 and older, this link between HDL cholesterol and dementia was even stronger. In fact, the risk of developing dementia was 42% higher among people aged 75 and over who had a high HDL cholesterol level. The authors specify that diet was not the cause of the high HDL cholesterol levels in the participants.

Where are HDL cholesterol found in food? They are present in many foods that we eat regularly, such as legumes, avocado, fatty fish, seeds, olive oil, etc. The advice is not to ban them from your plate but, as is often the case with food, to consume them in moderation, especially if you are at risk of dementia.