Higher levels of triglycerides linked to lower risk of dementia

Medical Xpress / American Academy of Neurology / Neurology ^ | Oct. 25, 2023 | Zhen Zhou et al

[ConservativeMind]

Older people who have higher levels of triglycerides, a type of fat, may have a lower risk of dementia and a slower cognitive decline over time compared to people who have lower levels, according to new research.

Researchers used health care data to identify 18,294 people in one cohort with an average age of 75 who did not have a prior diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease or dementia. Participants were followed for an average of six years.

Researchers looked at participants' measurements of total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL and HDL each year of the study. Then they divided the participants into four groups based on fasting triglyceride levels. Of the total group, average triglycerides were 106 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). For adults, a normal or healthy triglyceride level is below 150 mg/dL.

After adjusting for variables that could affect risk of dementia including education and cholesterol-lowering treatments, researchers found every doubling of triglyceride levels was associated with an 18% lower risk of developing dementia.

The lowest triglyceride group had levels of less than 62 mg/dL. The second group had levels of 63 to 106 mg/dL. Compared to the lowest group, the second group was 15% less likely to develop dementia. The third group had levels of 107 to 186 mg/dL. Compared to the lowest group, they were 24% less likely to develop dementia. The fourth group had levels of 187 mg/dL or higher. Compared to the lowest group, they were 36% less likely to develop dementia.

The researchers also validated their results in another dataset comprised of 68,200 older people from the U.K.

Researchers also found that higher triglycerides were also associated with slower decline in composite cognition, a combined result from tests of global function, psychomotor speed, language and executive function and memory over time.

[mbj]

+1