Cholesterol's Bad for the Brain, Too

[Guest guest]

From:

http://news.iwon.com/home/health/health_article/0,11720,506371|03-15-2002::0

6:00,00.html

Cholesterol's Bad for the Brain, Too

Elevated levels tied to cognitive decline, but drugs may help

By Ed Edelson

HealthScoutNews Reporter

THURSDAY, March 14 (HealthScoutNews) -- Evidence that high cholesterol

levels are bad for the brain as well as the heart keeps accumulating.

The latest report comes from a long-running study of older women. It says

that postmenopausal women with the highest blood readings of low-density

lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the " bad kind " that clogs the arteries, did

much worse on tests of memory, language, orientation, and other kinds of

brain function than women with low cholesterol levels.

That report, published in the March issue of the Archives of Neurology, also

adds evidence that statins, the cholesterol-lowering drugs, can reduce the

risk of Alzheimer's disease and other brain-robbing conditions.

The case is far from proven, but the clues are strong enough to impel the

National Institute on Aging to sponsor a major trial to determine whether

statin therapy can help keep old minds young.

The new report uses data from the Heart Estrogen/Progestin Replacement Study

Trial, whose primary goal is to see whether hormone replacement therapy can

reduce the incidence of heart disease. Women in the study had their

cholesterol levels tested periodically and took a test of mental ability at

the end of the four-year trial.

Women with the highest LDL cholesterol levels did significantly worse on the

tests, says the report by a group led by Dr. e Yaffe, assistant

professor of psychology at the University of California, San Diego. But

women whose blood cholesterol levels decreased over the four years of the

study had better scores than those whose cholesterol levels increased. And

taking a statin drug appeared to improve performance on the mental tests.

" These results fit with other studies showing that statins may help to

prevent Alzheimer's disease, " Yaffe says. The report cites two such studies

that were published in November 2000.

" There has always been a debate about whether elevated serum cholesterol is

related to cognitive decline, " says Bill Thies, vice president for medical

and scientific affairs of the Alzheimer's Association. " This is a solid

study, with good methodology, that offers excellent evidence. I suspect it

will be the first of a number of studies showing that elevated cholesterol

is associated with cognitive decline. "

But Yaffe added, " Until we see the results of a randomized clinical trial,

people shouldn't be taking statins for that purpose. "

The NIA-sponsored statin trial, headquartered at the University of

California at San Diego, is just beginning, and results are not expected for

several years. It is a randomized trial, in which the incidence of mental

decline will be compared in people who take a statin or a placebo, an

inactive substance.

What To Do

The American Heart Association recommendations for cardiovascular health are

equally applicable to mental function, says Thies. " The rules for healthy

living are pretty simple. They are not a guarantee, but they give the best

chance of getting good results, " he says. " Don't smoke, watch your blood

pressure, don't get too big, exercise regularly. Those are as good a set of

rules as you can get. "

Learn more about cholesterol from the American Heart Association. Meanwhile,

the National Institute on Aging can steer you toward information on

Alzheimer's and brain function.

[Guest guest]

Is this a result of neck arteries clogging with cholesterol,

cholesterol deposits in the brain, or cholesterol interfering with

brain function other than the circulatory system?

Bob

--- In @y..., " Hipp " <@H...>

wrote:

> From:

> http://news.iwon.com/home/health/health_article/0,11720,506371|03-

15-2002::0

> 6:00,00.html

>

> Cholesterol's Bad for the Brain, Too

> Elevated levels tied to cognitive decline, but drugs may help

>

> By Ed Edelson

> HealthScoutNews Reporter

> THURSDAY, March 14 (HealthScoutNews) -- Evidence that high

cholesterol

> levels are bad for the brain as well as the heart keeps

accumulating.

> The latest report comes from a long-running study of older women.

It says

> that postmenopausal women with the highest blood readings of low-

density

> lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the " bad kind " that clogs the

arteries, did

> much worse on tests of memory, language, orientation, and other

kinds of

> brain function than women with low cholesterol levels.

snip