"High Total Cholesterol Neuroprotective Against Cognitive Decline"
The risk of cognitive decline is reduced for people age 85 years and older with high cholesterol, according to a study published in Alzheimer's & Dementia. Jeremy Silverman, PhD, professor of psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and James Schmeidler, PhD, assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, analyzed data from 1,897 participants in the Framingham Heart Study with intact cognition at baseline. The researchers found significant associations between rising total cholesterol linear slope, low entry age, low education, and statin non-use. Risk diminished significantly by outcome age. Falling linear slope was significant at 85 to 94 years. "It predicts the observed diminished or reversed cholesterol associations with increasing age. Protection is particularly likely for successful cognitive aging - intact cognition at very old age - despite increased risk from cholesterol," the authors wrote.
- Jeremy M. Silverman, PhD, Professor, Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- James Schmeidler, PhD, Assistant Clinical Professor, Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai