People with lower levels of "bad cholesterol" in their blood are less likely to develop dementia, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Neurology and Psychiatry.
The research from South Korea found those with lower LDL levels were 26 per cent less likely to be diagnosed with dementia compared with those who had higher cholesterol levels.
Cholesterol-lowering statins, the most commonly prescribed drugs in the UK, were also found to offer additional protection against the memory-robbing condition. The drug is currently taken by seven to eight million Britons, the British Heart Foundation estimates.
Researchers from Hallym University College of Medicine analysed data collected from 11 university hospitals in South Korea, following adults for 180 days after they got their cholesterol levels tested and observing whether patients developed dementia during the study period.
They identified 192,213 people with LDL levels less than 1.8 mmol/L and 379,006 patients with LDL levels more than 3.4 mmol/L.
Those with lower LDL levels were also 28 per cent less likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
The study found statins provided protection against dementia even when participants' LDL levels were already low.
For those with levels below 1.8 mmol/L, dementia risk was reduced by 13 per cent and Alzheimer's by 12 per cent compared to those not taking statins.
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Head of Research at Alzheimer's Research UK, Dr Julia Dudley, said: "High levels of LDL cholesterol were identified as a risk factor for dementia in last year's Lancet Commission on dementia prevention.
"The use of statins seemed to offer a protective effect even in those who already had cholesterol levels within a lower range.
"Without a detailed picture of what's going on in the brain, we do not know if there is a direct link between lower cholesterol and reduced dementia risk."
The researchers noted that because it was an observational study, no firm conclusions could be drawn about cause and effect.
However, the authors concluded: "Low LDL-C levels (dL (L)) are significantly associated with a reduced risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease-related dementia, with statin therapy providing additional protective effects."
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The research from South Korea found those with lower LDL levels were 26 per cent less likely to be diagnosed with dementia compared with those who had higher cholesterol levels.
Cholesterol-lowering statins, the most commonly prescribed drugs in the UK, were also found to offer additional protection against the memory-robbing condition. The drug is currently taken by seven to eight million Britons, the British Heart Foundation estimates.
Researchers from Hallym University College of Medicine analysed data collected from 11 university hospitals in South Korea, following adults for 180 days after they got their cholesterol levels tested and observing whether patients developed dementia during the study period.
They identified 192,213 people with LDL levels less than 1.8 mmol/L and 379,006 patients with LDL levels more than 3.4 mmol/L.
Those with lower LDL levels were also 28 per cent less likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
The study found statins provided protection against dementia even when participants' LDL levels were already low.
For those with levels below 1.8 mmol/L, dementia risk was reduced by 13 per cent and Alzheimer's by 12 per cent compared to those not taking statins.
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Head of Research at Alzheimer's Research UK, Dr Julia Dudley, said: "High levels of LDL cholesterol were identified as a risk factor for dementia in last year's Lancet Commission on dementia prevention.
"The use of statins seemed to offer a protective effect even in those who already had cholesterol levels within a lower range.
"Without a detailed picture of what's going on in the brain, we do not know if there is a direct link between lower cholesterol and reduced dementia risk."
The researchers noted that because it was an observational study, no firm conclusions could be drawn about cause and effect.
However, the authors concluded: "Low LDL-C levels (dL (L)) are significantly associated with a reduced risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease-related dementia, with statin therapy providing additional protective effects."
Find Out More...