Cholesterol levels could affect Alzheimer’s risk

Higher serum cholesterol levels could potentially mean a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to a PET study published Dec. 30 in JAMA Neurology.

Bruce Reed, PhD, from the University of California, Davis, and colleagues evaluated how elevated serum cholesterol levels correlated with cerebral beta-amyloid deposition in this multi-center study. PET imaging with C-11 Pittsburgh Compound B (C-11 PiB) revealed independent associations between both high density (HDL) and low density (LDL) lipoprotein cholesterol levels and cerebral beta-amyloid as indicated by tracer uptake. 

“This finding, in living humans, is consistent with prior autopsy reports, epidemiologic findings, and animal and in vitro work, suggesting an important role for cholesterol in beta-amyloid processing,” wrote Reed et al.

A total of 74 subjects with a mean age of 78 were included in the study. Of these, 33 were clinically normal and 38 showed mild cognitive impairment. A statistical analysis controlling for age and the apolipoprotein E 4 allele (APOE4) was conducted and results showed that higher amyloid build-up correlated with CAD-like patterns of cholesterol.

“Because cholesterol levels are modifiable, understanding their link to beta-amyloid deposition could potentially and eventually have an effect on retarding the pathologic cascade of Alzheimer’s disease,” wrote the authors.

Further studies to help researchers fully understand the function of serum lipids in beta-amyloid deposition could lead to new disease-modifying treatments to potentially slow or stop Alzheimer’s disease in its tracks.