TUESDAY, July 1 (HealthDay News) -- Middle-aged individuals with low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels are at higher risk of poor memory and memory decline than individuals with high levels of HDL-C, according to the results of a study published online June 30 in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology.
Archana Singh-Manoux, Ph.D., and colleagues from University College London in the United Kingdom examined the association between fasting serum lipids and short-term verbal memory (measured twice, at mean ages of 55 and 61 years) in 3,673 male and female British civil servants.
After adjusting for a number of demographic, clinical and behavioral factors, the researchers found that individuals with low HDL-C (less than 40 mg/dL) were at higher risk of memory loss compared with those with high HDL-C (60 mg/dL or more) (odds ratio, 1.27 and 1.53 for the first and second measurements, respectively). Over the five-year follow-up, declining HDL-C was associated with declining memory (adjusted odds ratio, 1.61).
"HDL-C levels are potentially modifiable, and our results suggest that low HDL-C is associated with poor memory and decline in memory in middle-aged adults," Singh-Manoux and colleagues conclude.
Abstract
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