Key result
High LDL-C linked to ~23% higher Alzheimer's risk, while low levels track with vascular dementia.
Why the study?
How do different serum lipid levels associate with the risk of incident dementia subtypes and CVD, and does cholesterol-lowering medication use modify this risk?
Cohort
Yes
How do different serum lipid levels associate with the risk of incident dementia subtypes and CVD, and does cholesterol-lowering medication use modify this risk?
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
High LDL-C is associated with increased Alzheimer's dementia risk, whereas low LDL-C is associated with increased vascular dementia risk in individuals not taking cholesterol-lowering medications.
Purpose: Lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is crucial for cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention, but its impact on cognitive function-and the potential differences by dementia subtype and cholesterol-lowering medication use-remain unclear.This study aimed to examine the associations between lipid levels and dementia and CVD risks, considering dementia subtypes and cholesterol-lowering medication use. Materials and Methods:A prospective cohort study was conducted using UK Biobank data.Serum lipid levels, including LDL-C, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides, total cholesterol, and remnant cholesterol, were categorized into clinically relevant ranges.Accounting for cholesterol-lowering medication use, the primary outcomes were incident all-cause dementia, Alzheimer's dementia (AD), vascular dementia (VD), and CVD.Results: High LDL-C (160 mg/dL) increased AD risk across all groups {hazard ratio (HR): 1.23 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.10-1.38],p<0.001;HR: 1.45 (95% CI: 1.08-1.93),p=0.013;HR: 1.25 (95% CI: 1.10-1.42),p<0.001, respectively}, whereas low LDL-C (<70 mg/dL) showed higher VD risk in those not taking cholesterol-lowering medication [HR: 3.02 (95% CI: 1.73-5.27),p<0.001].Low HDL-C (40 mg/dL) was associated with increased AD and VD risk in non-users.High LDL-C (160 mg/dL) was associated with increased CVD risk in those taking cholesterol-lowering medication. Conclusion:This study underscores the differential associations of lipid levels with dementia and CVD risk, depending on dementia subtype and cholesterol-lowering medication use.High LDL-C was linked to increased AD risk, whereas low LDL-C was linked to increased VD risk in those not taking cholesterol-lowering medication.
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Lee et al. (2025) conducted a cohort in Dementia and Cardiovascular Disease. Serum lipid levels was evaluated on Incident all-cause dementia, Alzheimer's dementia (AD), vascular dementia (VD), and CVD (HR 1.23, 95% CI 1.10-1.38, p=<0.001). High LDL-C was associated with increased Alzheimer's dementia risk (HR 1.23; 95% CI 1.10-1.38), whereas low LDL-C increased vascular dementia risk in those not taking cholesterol-lowering medication.
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