Good cholesterol linked to reduced Alzheimer's risk

High levels of “good” cholesterol may help prevent Alzheimer's disease later in life, a Columbia University study found.

People in the study who had the greatest levels of high- density lipoprotein, or HDL, were 60 percent less likely than those with the lowest levels to develop Alzheimer's disease over four years, research today in the Archives of Neurology showed. HDL, often called the “good” cholesterol, is one component of total cholesterol and is the exception to doctors' recommendations to keep overall levels low.

Alzheimer's is a disease that gradually damages brain cells, afflicting 60 percent of those older than age 95, according to the researchers led by Christiane Reitz. Eli Lilly & Co., of Indianapolis, and London-based GlaxoSmithKline Plc. and AstraZeneca Plc., are among the drugmakers whose medicines designed to slow or stop the condition have failed or had setbacks in tests in recent years.

“Take care of your cholesterol because of that you can lower the risk of Alzheimer's disease,” said Reitz, an assistant professor of neurology at Columbia University's Taub Institute in New York, in a telephone interview. “Based on our study, even at the age of 65, the higher the good cholesterol, the lower your risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.”

HDL may lower Alzheimer's risk by influencing how the protein amyloid, which can form into plaque, is cleared from the brain, Reitz said. Eating a healthy diet and getting exercise may help raise HDL levels.

Alzheimer's destroys brain cells gradually, making it difficult for people to think, remember and function. About 36 million people worldwide have the disease and different dementias, according to the website of Alzheimer's disease International, a London-based group.