'Good Cholesterol' Protective Against Alzheimer's?

[Prasoon]

Small high-density lipoprotein (HDL) particles in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) may help protect against Alzheimer's disease (AD), new research suggests. Results from a hypothesis-driven study showed that a higher number of small HDL particles in CSF was associated with better cognition and higher CSF levels of amyloid beta-42 (Aβ42), which have been linked to a lower risk for dementia.

[Ipshita]

@prasoon There has been abundant previous evidence that cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular risk factors play an important role in the etiology of AD, the investigators note. Small HDL particles have neuroprotective properties, but their association with cognition is unknown. Using ion mobility analysis, the researchers identified, counted, and measured the size of individual small HDL particles in CSF and plasma from 180 healthy adults aged 60 years and older (mean age, 76.6 years). A higher number of small HDL particles (7-10.5 nm) in CSF was positively associated with performance in three domains of cognitive function, independent of apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 status: age, sex, and years of education.