Increased midlife triglycerides predict brain β-amyloid and tau pathology 20 years later

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of midlife lipid levels on Alzheimer brain pathology 20 years later in cognitively normal elderly individuals. METHODS: F-flutemetamol) PET was also performed. RESULTS: ε4, education, and multiple vascular risk factors. Triglycerides were also associated with abnormal Aβ PET in multivariable regression models, but the association was attenuated in the fully adjusted model. Increased levels of medium and large low-density lipoprotein subfractions were significantly associated with abnormal Aβ PET and large high-density lipoprotein particles were associated with decreased risk of abnormal Aβ PET. CONCLUSIONS: Increased levels of triglycerides at midlife predict brain Aβ and tau pathology 20 years later in cognitively healthy individuals. Certain lipoprotein subfractions may also be risk factors for Aβ pathology. These findings further support an involvement of lipids in the very early stages of AD development.