Lowering cholesterol and 10 other ways to cut your dementia risk
Dementia currently has no cure. But while there is no guaranteed way to prevent it, there are several lifestyle choices that could potentially contribute to protecting against including lowering cholesterol.
New research has found that people who have low levels of "bad" cholesterol in their blood could reduce the risk of dementia by 26%.
People with low levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in their blood have a lower overall risk of dementia, and a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease specifically, according to research published in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.
Taking statins also provided an "additional protective effect" against the condition for those people with low levels of bad cholesterol, researchers found.
Commenting on the study, Dr Julia Dudley, head of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: "This large study looked at patient records for levels of LDL cholesterol and the risk of dementia, it also examined those patients who were on statins.
"It found that those people with lower LDL levels had a reduced risk of dementia. The use of statins seemed to offer a protective effect – even in those who already had cholesterol levels within a lower range."
However, Dr Dudley says 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 understanding what effects statins might be having on disease processes in the brain."
In the meantime, she says keeping 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," she adds.
Other risk factors for dementia
Dementia affects nearly one million people in the UK, with the latest projections estimating that this number could rise to 1.4 million by 2040 and cholesterol isn't the only risk factor.
A study from 2020 found 12 risk factors that could lead to a dementia diagnosis, including obesity, smoking, depression, lack of physical activity, low level of education, high blood pressure, diabetes, excessive drinking, hearing problems, traumatic brain injury, air pollution, and social isolation.
But a further, more recent report, published in The Lancet journal, has added vision loss and high cholesterol to this list.
The researchers said that the potential for prevention is high, in that some of these conditions can be prevented or reversed.
"Nearly half of dementias could theoretically be prevented by eliminating these 14 risk factors," the study said.
In fact, the authors estimated that 45% of our risk of the disease can be changed by preventing or reversing these conditions.
"It’s never too early or too late to take action," lead author Prof Gill Livingston, from University College London, told the BBC.
“Governments must reduce risk inequalities by making healthy lifestyles as achievable as possible for everyone.”
The researchers also provided a recommendations list for healthcare systems to use when looking to reduce the likelihood of dementia. This includes:
Ensuring hearing aids are accessible
Investing in good quality education
Emphasis on exercise and sports
Encourage people to stop smoking
Treating high blood pressure
Preventing obesity
Reducing problem drinking
Eyesight screening
Air pollution reduction
Ensuring people are not isolated or lonely
While there are some factors on the list that may be out of your control, such as hearing loss, a traumatic brain injury, and poor eyesight, there are others where you can take action in order to prevent the likelihood of dementia.
If you suffer from, or are affected by, social isolation, excessive drinking, smoking, obesity, depression, physical inactivity, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol, many of these are modifiable lifestyle factors that you can speak to your GP or a qualified healthcare professional about.
There are also organisations that offer support for some of the conditions stated, such as mental health charity Mind, Alcohol Change, or the NHS Smokefree National Helpline on 0300 123 1044.
Read more about dementia:
Making tea and meeting up with friends could keep dementia patients independent for longer (Yahoo Life UK, 4-min read)
Two-thirds of people with dementia are women. Experts now think they might know why (HuffPost, 2-min read)
The love of my life was diagnosed with dementia at 48 (Yahoo Life UK, 9-min read)
