High Cholesterol Linked to Alzheimer's Disease

A study published in JAMA Neurology explored the link between LDL cholesterol levels and early-onset Alzheimer's, to see if high cholesterol and late-life Alzheimer's have a connection as well, reports Newsweek . The researchers studied the cholesterol levels of 267 blood samples taken from the Alzheimer's research centers at Emory University and University of California, San Francisco. The genes of 2,125 people, including 654 with early-onset Alzheimer's, were also sequenced. People with higher LDL cholesterol levels were more likely to have early-onset Alzheimer's versus those whose LDL was not so elevated, while the APOE E4 genetic mutation was associated with about 10 percent of cases of early-onset Alzheimer's. When adjusting for the potential effects of APOE E4, the risk between LDL cholesterol and Alzheimer's persisted, suggesting LDL poses a risk independent of the mutation. Furthermore, participants with rare changes in the coding of the APOB gene, which contributes to the control of LDL cholesterol levels, had a greater chance of having the rare form of Alzheimer's. "One interpretation of our current data is that LDL cholesterol does play a causal role," said Emory University Professor Thomas Wingo. "If that is the case, we might need to revise targets for LDC cholesterol to help reduce Alzheimer's risk. Our work now is focused on testing whether there is a causal link."