Abstract
This article examines the relationship between cholesterol levels and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), beginning with the early observation that individuals who died from heart attacks often had brain amyloid deposition. Subsequent animal model research proved that high cholesterol could hasten amyloid accumulation. In contrast, cholesterol-lowering treatments appeared to counteract this effect. Human autopsy studies reinforced the cholesterol-AD connection, revealing that higher cholesterol levels during midlife significantly correlated with higher brain amyloid pathology. This effect was especially pronounced in individuals aged 40 to 55. Epidemiological data supported animal research and human tissue observations and suggested that managing cholesterol levels in midlife could reduce the risk of developing AD. We analyze the main observational studies and clinical trials on the efficacy of statins. While observational data often suggest a potential protective effect against AD, clinical trials have not consistently shown benefit. The failure of these trials to demonstrate a clear advantage is partially attributed to multiple factors, including the timing of statin therapy, the type of statin and the appropriate selection of patients for treatment. Many studies failed to target individuals who might benefit most from early intervention, such as high-risk patients like
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
