Study Shows Link Between High Cholesterol and Dementia

By Rachel stockton (rachels@foodconsumer.org)

As baby boomers continue to morph into "geezer boomers," research is making significant strides when it comes to health care for the retirement set. Undeniably, this segment of the population is more educated than the previous generation when it comes to health care; as the US faces a health care crisis of mammoth proportions with regards to its aging population, focus continues to shift toward prevention of disease, rather than mere acceptance of it.

The newest study on aging, published in the journal Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, shows a definitive link between high cholesterol in middle age and Alzheimer's 40 years later.

The study began with the recruitment of 10,000 citizens between the ages of 40 and 45 from the mid-sixties to the mid-seventies, following some of them for the ensuing 4 decades. Researchers found that those with a cholesterol reading of 240 or higher have a 66% higher risk of Alzheimer's many years later.

Scientists have surmised that there is a link between the two conditions because of two shared genes. And, while some studies insinuate that certain statin drugs might reduce Alzheimer's risk as they simultaneously lower cholesterol, more research will be necessary to definitively prove whether or not drugs such as Crestor and Lipitor can positively affect the Alzheimer's outcome.

What researchers CAN definitively tell us is that certain lifestyle changes can lower cholesterol levels. WebMd lists the following ways patients can reduce cholesterol: eating a healthy diet, exercising, losing weight, and taking medication if necessary. Each of these tips can work on their own to lower cholesterol; however, your chances for success are elevated if you following them in tandem with one another.

Studies show that baby boomers are expecting unprecedented longevity, when it comes to their years on earth; this new study promises to delineate, at least in part, how they can increase the quality of those years beyond threescore and ten.