First Signs of Alzheimer’s in Women Linked to Quality of Good Cholesterol: Study

A new study has found that higher levels of good cholesterol (HDL-C) may be associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease, but this risk is influenced more by the quality of HDL particles than their quantity in women’s blood.

Published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, the research highlights that after women enter menopause, the focus should shift to the quality of cholesterol carried by HDL particles.

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh discovered that, over time, the number of larger HDL particles increased in women. Unfortunately, these larger particles were found to be less effective than their smaller counterparts.

Samar R. El Khoudary, a professor of epidemiology at Pitt Public Health, stated, “We demonstrated that women in midlife with a higher concentration of smaller HDL particles and increased phospholipid levels during menopause are more likely to have better episodic memory later in life.” The loss of working memory is often the first sign of Alzheimer’s disease.

The study involved repeated cognitive assessments of participants from 2000 to 2016, comparing these results with changes in the size, composition, and function of HDL particles as the women aged.

The research team previously showed that healthy behaviors can enhance the quality of HDL particles, particularly by increasing the presence of phospholipid-rich particles in the bloodstream.

El Khoudary noted, “This developing understanding of brain health reveals that HDL may not be as protective as once thought, but there are steps individuals can take to improve HDL quality, even starting in their 40s.”