They call it the “good” cholesterol — but like a cheating spouse, HDL might need been gaslighting us all along.
A latest study adds to a growing body of evidence that HDL, or high-density lipoprotein, isn’t good or healthy, especially once it’s reached certain levels in your blood.
The research reveals that individuals with high levels of HDL might need the next risk of developing dementia.
Data compiled from roughly 18,000 people aged 65 and older showed that those with a HDL reading of 80 mg/dL had a 27% increased risk of developing dementia.
Previous studies have linked so-called “bad” LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol to heart disease and other cardiovascular problems.
Against this, one function of “good” HDL cholesterol is to hold excess cholesterol from our bodies to our liver, which prevents fat from build up in our arteries.
Generally, the advisable range of HDL is 40 to 60 mg/dL for men and 50 to 60 mg/dL for ladies.
“We’ve got known for a very long time that prime levels of HDL-C are helpful for reducing the chance of heart disease and stroke,” Andrew Doig, professor of biochemistry on the UK’s University of Manchester, who was not involved within the study, told Newsweek.
“This work shows that prime HDL-C will not be all good, nonetheless, if it makes dementia more likely,” Doig added.
The brand new report is supported by earlier studies which found that prime HDL do more harm than good. In a single such study, individuals who had HDL levels of cholesterol above 60 mg/dL were nearly 50% more more likely to have a heart attack or die from heart disease, than individuals with HDL levels between 41 and 60 mg/dL.
The explanation behind this is perhaps that too-high HDL levels could slow the strategy of clearing LDL cholesterol out of your arteries.
When LDL cholesterol builds up in these blood vessels, it forms clumps called plaques that slow or block blood flow. Eventually, a bit of plaque can break free and form a clot, which could lead on to a heart attack or stroke.
One other study, published within the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, found that some people, after having had a heart attack, may process high HDL in another way, in order that as an alternative of protecting against heart disease, high HDL levels in these people could actually increase the chance of heart disease.
The most recent study, published in The Lancet Regional Health — Western Pacific journal, may open the way in which for further research into how levels of cholesterol and dementia are linked.
“Perhaps there’s a disease pathway between the 2 that we currently don’t find out about. If that’s the case, this might point to latest ways to develop drugs against dementia,” said Doig.
“That is all very speculative, but value , as we desperately need higher treatments for dementia.”
