Lower cholesterol could slow Alzheimer’s
December 6th, 2005
Laboratory research indicates that cholesterol plays a role in the development of the waxy deposits, or plaques, that clump together in the brain and characterize Alzheimer’s. Leaping from the petri dish to the body, might lowering cholesterol through medication affect the development of the disease?
This study monitored the progression of dementia in 342 people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. About 68 percent of them had high cholesterol, and more than half of that group was taking a cholesterol-lowering drug (mostly statins). After nearly three years, Alzheimer’s had progressed more slowly in people taking the drugs than in those with untreated high cholesterol or normal levels. Scores on a standardized exam (with a 30-point scale) used to test dementia declined 1.5 points a year for those taking cholesterol medication, compared with a drop of 2.4 points for the untreated high cholesterol group and 2.6 points for those with normal levels.
Who may be affected by these findings? Anyone with Alzheimer’s disease, which affects about 4.5 million Americans — a number that is projected to climb to nearly 16 million in 15 years.
Source: detnews.com
Entry Filed under: Nutrition News
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