ST. PAUL, Minn.—Individuals with high cholesterol develop significantly more brain plaques compared to those with normal or lower cholesterol levels, which raises their risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study published in the journal Neurology.
Researchers at Kyushu University in Japan examined the brains of 147 Japanese adults who participated in clinical examinations in 1988. All of the participants died between 1998 and 2003. Specifically, the researchers looked looking for plaques and tangles in the brain, which are trademark signs of Alzheimer’s disease. They found 34% had been diagnosed with dementia before death.
They found individuals with high cholesterol levels had significantly more brain plaques compared to those with normal or lower cholesterol levels. A total of 86% of people with high cholesterol had brain plaques, compared with only 62% of people with low cholesterol levels.
The study found no link between high cholesterol and the tangles that develop in the brain with Alzheimer’s disease.
