Low levels of high-density lipoproteins (one of the fractions of total serum cholesterol) is a likely risk factor for dementia! ? "This is something new? " - you ask. Yes, not really. It has long been known that these lipoproteins have a protective effect against atherosclerosis! However, their relationship with mental and mental health was not discussed before.

According to scientists from the Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands, low blood levels of high-density lipoproteins or so-called beneficial fractions increase the risk of dementia in the elderly even if they do not have cardiovascular disease.

When studying the level of high-density lipoproteins in the blood of 561 men and women of advanced age, it was found that the likelihood of developing dementia in patients with their low content is doubled. In people with already diagnosed heart diseases or strokes with a low level of such lipoproteins in the blood, the risk of developing dementia increases 4-fold, compared with the same patients, but with a high level of substance. Scientists suggest that high-density lipoproteins can slow down the reduction of mental abilities, by preventing the development of plaques on the walls of blood vessels and reducing inflammation in the brain substance. That is, suppressing atherosclerotic processes, and therefore, keeping the intensity of blood flow in the brain tissues "good cholesterol" gives us a few more years of full reflection and perception of the surrounding world.

Analyzing the results, the researchers came to a conclusion about practical medicine, namely: the new therapeutic measures should be aimed at increasing the level of high-density lipoproteins in the blood, which, according to the recommendations of the American Heart Association, in men should be 40-50 mg / dL (in Deciliter), while in women it is 50-60 mg / dL. The level of high density lipoproteins in the blood below 40 mg / dl is considered low. Factors that provide an increase in the content of "good cholesterol" in the blood include reducing excess body weight due to regular exercise and quitting smoking.

Medicus. En.