Key result
Low total and LDL cholesterol levels in boys aged 9, 15, and 18 years predicted higher disinhibition and thoughtlessness at age 25, while high cholesterol was linked to disinhibition in females.
Why the study?
Severe behavioural issues are associated with low cholesterol, but no longitudinal studies had shown the association of serum lipid levels with impulsivity.
Do serum lipid levels during childhood and adolescence predict impulsivity in early adulthood?
Cohort (n=1,238)
Do serum lipid levels during childhood and adolescence predict impulsivity in early adulthood?
Low total and LDL cholesterol levels in childhood and adolescence predict maladaptive impulsivity (disinhibition and thoughtlessness) in young adult males.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Low childhood LDL may signal later male impulsivity; hypothesis-generating and should not yet change lipid management.
OBJECTIVE: Severe behavioural issues such as impulsive action and suicide have since long been associated with low levels of cholesterol. While it is known that cholesterol plays a role in neural development and hence low levels of serum lipids could have long-term effects on behaviour, no longitudinal studies showed the association of serum lipids levels with impulsivity. We aimed to examine the prognostic properties of serum lipid levels during childhood and adolescence on measures of impulsivity during early adulthood in a representative birth cohort sample. METHODS: We have investigated whether serum lipid levels measured at 9, 15, 18 and 25 years of age have an association with impulsivity in 25 years old young adults. This analysis was based on data of the birth cohort representative samples of the Estonian Children Personality Behaviour and Health Study (original n = 1238). Impulsivity was self-reported with the Adaptive and Maladaptive Impulsivity Scale. RESULTS: Total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol measured in boys aged 9, 15 and 18 years predicted disinhibition and thoughtlessness in 25-year-old young adults. High scores of disinhibition were associated with low total and LDL cholesterol levels in males but, while less consistently, with high total and LDL cholesterol levels in females. Cross-sectional analysis did not result in systematic outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Serum lipid levels could have an impact on the development of Maladaptive Impulsivity starting from an early age. This effect of cholesterol continues throughout adolescence into young adulthood.
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Tomson-Johanson et al. (2019) conducted a cohort in Impulsivity (n=1,238). Serum lipid levels was evaluated on Impulsivity at 25 years of age (Adaptive and Maladaptive Impulsivity Scale). Low total and LDL cholesterol levels in boys aged 9, 15, and 18 years predicted higher disinhibition and thoughtlessness at age 25, while high cholesterol was linked to disinhibition in females.
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