Common drug could slash your risk of dementia after it’s linked to silent killer condition

TAKING a common drug could slash your risk of dementia – as scientists link the disease to silent killer cholesterol.

People with lower levels of ‘bad' cholesterol in their blood are less likely to develop dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, they suggested.

Cholesterol is a natural fatty substance found in the blood.

When levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) – also known as ‘bad' cholesterol – get too high, they can clog up blood vessels and raise the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Eating healthily and exercising can help lower LDL levels, but drugs called statins are prescribed to people with high cholesterol if lifestyle changes aren't enough.

It's well known that taking the drugs – which are being dished out to around 8 million Brits – can protect you from cardiovascular events.

But researchers from Hallym University College of Medicine in South Korea claimed statins could protect against dementia too.

Taking statins if levels of LDL cholesterol are already low – less than 1.8 mmol/L – could slash people's risk of dementia even further, they found.

But reducing LDL cholesterol to very low levels – below 0.8 mmol/L – didn't reduce dementia risk any more.

LDL levels are considered high if they're above 4mmol/L.

For their study – published online today in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry – Korean scientists examined data collected by 11 university hospitals, which followed adults for at least 180 days after they got their cholesterol levels tested.

They observed whether people went on to be diagnosed with dementia in the study period.

Researchers identified 192,213 people with LDL levels less than 1.8 mmol/L and 379,006 patients with LDL levels more than 3.4 mmol/L.

People with lower ‘bad' cholesterol levels were 26 per cent less likely to be diagnosed with dementia compared to participants on the higher end of the cholesterol spectrum.

They were also 28 per cent less likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

But once LDL levels dipped below 1.4 mmol/L, the protective effect against dementia didn't seem to be as strong – as participants only had an 18 per cent lower risk of getting dementia and Alzheimer’s.

And when LDL levels fell below 0.8 mmol/L, the protective effect disappeared entirely.

Using statins seems to boost protection against dementia, even when people's LDL levels were on the lower side, researchers found.

For those below 1.8 mmol/L, statin use reduced dementia risk by 13 per cent and Alzheimer's by 12 per cent compared with non-users.

Researchers noted that their study was observational, meaning they couldn't establish a clear cause and effect between statin use and dementia risk.

They concluded: “Low LDL cholesterol levels – below 1.8 mmol/L – are significantly associated with a reduced risk of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease related dementia, with statin therapy providing additional protective effects.

“These findings underscore the crucial role of managing LDL cholesterol in lowering dementia risk.”;

Dr Julia Dudley, Head of Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK said high levels of LDL cholesterol have previously been flagged as a risk factor for dementia.

Commenting on the study, she went on: “The use ofstatinsseemed to offer a protective effect – even in those who already had cholesterol levels within a lower range.

“However, dementia risk is complex and influenced by many factors.

“Without a detailed picture of what’s going on in the brain we do not know if there is a direct link between lower cholesterol and reduced dementia risk.

“Clinical trials will be key to understand what effectsstatinsmight be having on disease processes in the brain.

“In the meantime, keeping our hearts healthy remains one of the most effective ways we can protect our brain health. If you have any concerns about your cholesterol levels, you should speak to your GP.”;

Dr Richard Oakley from the Alzheimer's Society added: “Dementia risk is complicated and determined by several factors including genetics, lifestyle, and the environment.

“This study adds to our understanding by showing the strong connection between heart and brain health. Simply put, what is good for the heart is good for the head.”

He added: “This is an ever-evolving topic, and more targeted research and trials are needed to understand whether statins can help protect the brain. However, it is crucial to talk to your GP before making any changes to your medication”.

Dr Francesco Tamagnini, neurophysiologist at the Reading School of Pharmacy, University of Reading, said: “There is clearly more to the story of Alzheimer’s than we first thought.

“The [study gives] a convincing argument for researchers to consider LDL cholesterol in addition to the classic approaches.

“Amyloid beta and hyperphosphorylated tau have, so far, been assumed to be the main cause of Alzheimer’s but that is an opinion that is now likely to fade.”