Khaberni - A recent scientific study concluded that lowering levels of bad cholesterol in the blood could reduce the risk of dementia by up to 26%, providing doctors with a new tool to fight the most significant and severe aging diseases.
Research published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry shows that people with lower levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in their blood are generally less likely to suffer from dementia, and specifically less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease.
A report published by "The Guardian" newspaper, reviewed by "Alarabiya.net", indicates that researchers found that taking statins provides an "additional protective effect" against this condition in people with lower levels of bad cholesterol.
The number of people with dementia worldwide is expected to almost triple to 153 million by 2050, but evidence suggests that nearly half of these cases could potentially be prevented or delayed.
Harmful cholesterol is referred to as LDL-C, and can cause plaque buildup in the arteries, leading to cardiovascular diseases, which may in turn increase the risk of strokes, heart attacks, and death. However, until recently, the relationship between harmful cholesterol levels and dementia was less clear.
Last year, a report published in The Lancet found that 7% of dementia cases were linked to high levels of harmful cholesterol in midlife, while the new study has been able to conclude that lower levels of harmful cholesterol could reduce the risk of dementia by a quarter.
Researchers gathered data on 571,000 people in South Korea who were not diagnosed with dementia, including 192,213 individuals with harmful cholesterol levels lower than 1.8 millimoles/liter and 379,006 patients with harmful cholesterol levels higher than 3.4 millimoles/liter (>130 milligrams/deciliter).
Subsequent diagnoses of dementia showed that low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) levels below 1.8 millimoles/liter were associated with a 26% reduced risk of developing dementia and a 28% reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, specifically, compared to low-density lipoprotein levels above 3.4 millimoles/liter.
However, scientists said that this was merely an "observational study," and definitive conclusions about cause and effect cannot be drawn. The researchers also acknowledged several limitations, including focusing on baseline low-density lipid levels, which can change over time.
Nevertheless, researchers concluded that "lower levels of harmful cholesterol are closely associated with a reduced risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease-related dementia, with statin treatment providing additional protective effects."
Dr. Francesco Tamagnini, a neurophysiology specialist at the University of Reading, who was not involved in the study, said: "It's clear that there's more detail about Alzheimer's disease than we initially thought."
He added: "This study addresses the association and the potential causal relationship between high levels of bad cholesterol and the risk of developing dementia. The findings present a compelling argument for researchers to consider harmful cholesterol alongside traditional methods."
