
Could swings in your blood fat levels increase your chances of being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease? Yes, suggests a new study that found fluctuating cholesterol levels among older adults may increase the risk for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Those who had the most fluctuations in cholesterol had a 19% higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s or dementia, and those with the most fluctuations in triglyceride levels had a 23% increased risk, the researchers found. Still, Dr. Marc Lawrence Gordon, chief of neurology at Northwell Health’s Zucker Hillside Hospital in Great Neck, N.Y., stressed this study can’t prove these variations actually cause Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. “You don’t know whether the fluctuation is what’s driving the incidence of dementia or an increased incidence of dementia is somehow causing fluctuations,” said Gordon, who had no part in the study. “I could not advise any of my patients to do anything in particular on the basis of these data.” However, lead researcher Suzette Bielinski, from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., believes the findings could be helpful. “Fluctuations in these results [cholesterol and triglycerides tests] over time could potentially help us identify who is at greater risk for dementia, help us understand mechanisms for the development of dementia, and ultimately determine whether leveling out these fluctuations could play a role in reducing dementia risk,” she said in a… read on > read on >