HDL and Alzheimers

HDL cholesterol associated with reduced risk of Alzheimer's.
The Los Angeles Times (12/13, Kaplan) "Booster Shots" blog reported that, according to a study published Dec. 14 in the Archives of Neurology, HDL cholesterol may reduce the "risk of developing Alzheimer's disease later in life." In a study of 1,130 senior citizens, researchers found that, "compared to those with the lowest levels of high-density lipoprotein...volunteers with the highest levels were 60% less likely to be told they had a probable or possible case of Alzheimer's."
"For the study, participants were divided into four groups," Bloomberg News (12/14, Ostrow) reports. "Those in the highest group had HDL levels of more than 55 milligrams per deciliter of blood, while those in the lowest group had levels of 38 or less." Notably, "over the course of the study, 101 people developed Alzheimer's. Of those, 16 were in the highest HDL group and 32 were in the lowest HDL group." What's more, the investigators "found that those with the highest HDL were 20 percent less likely to develop the disease compared with those in the middle two groups."
HealthDay (12/13, Holohan) reported that "people can cut their risk" for Alzheimer's "by reducing their intake of trans-fats and increasing monounsaturated fats that keep 'good' cholesterol high and 'bad' cholesterol low," the study's lead author said. HealthDay also noted, "The US National Institutes of Health reports that about five percent of Americans between the ages of 65 and 74 have late-onset Alzheimer's disease, the more common form of the disorder, and the prevalence increases with age."
WebMD (12/13, Goodman) reported, "While it may not make sense to boost HDL levels to try to prevent Alzheimer's disease just yet," some "experts note that higher levels of HDL have clearly been shown to protect the heart, so for that reason alone, they think it's smart to keep good cholesterol in mind at every checkup." Current "guidelines recommend that men raise HDL levels that are under 40 mg/dL and that women increase HDL numbers under 50 mg/dL. An HDL of 60 mg/dL or higher is optimal," WebMD explained. MSNBC /My Health News Daily (12/13, Rettner) also covered the story.
Unexpected findings enriching views on genesis of Alzheimer's. On the front of its Science Times section, the New York Times (12/14, D1, Kolata) reports in "The Vanishing Mind" that recent "unexpected findings...are enriching scientists' views of the genesis of Alzheimer's disease." For example, "researchers have...found that amyloid, in its normal small amounts, seems to have a purpose in the brain -- it may be acting like a circuit breaker to prevent nerve firing from getting out of control." However, too much of the substance "can shut down nerves, eventually leading to cell death. That means that if amyloid levels were reduced early in the disease, when excess amyloid is stunning nerve cells but has not yet killed them, the damage might be reversed," the Times points out.
Scientists research "senior moments," dementia. The Boston Globe (12/14, Lazar) reports, "Some of the country's top brain researchers say they have yet to find mind preservation in a pill," and they "also don't have a rigorous way to tell when a lapse is just part of normal brain aging, versus a signal of serious trouble ahead." But "Boston researchers are embarking on a new study that they hope will help distinguish between the two," information that "may, one day, guide patients and caregivers in choosing the right treatments, when they become available." Specifically, "scientists at Brigham and Women's and Massachusetts General hospitals will be tracking 300 adults, age 65 and older, for five years, and asking them to do a few tasks that tend to trigger so-called senior moments."