A recent study suggests that older people with higher triglyceride levels may have a reduced risk of establishing dementia and experience slower cognitive decline than those with lower levels. The research included 18,294 individuals, and its findings were supported by a separate U.K. dataset. The results may not be widely suitable considering that just people aged 65 and above without cognitive issues were studied.
Older people with higher triglyceride levels, a typical kind of fat in the blood, may experience a decreased risk of dementia and a decreased rate of cognitive decrease compared to those with lower levels, according to current research study. While the research study, just recently published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, discovered a link, this doesnt establish that higher levels of triglycerides avoid dementia.
Comprehending Triglycerides
Triglycerides are fats and are the most typical type of fat in the blood. Triglycerides contribute as much as 95% of dietary fats, which are the primary energy source of the brain.
” Higher triglyceride levels may be reflective of better total health and way of life habits that would secure versus dementia,” said study author Zhen Zhou, PhD, of Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. “Our findings suggest that triglyceride levels might function as a useful predictor for dementia threat and cognitive decrease in older populations.”
A current study recommends that older people with higher triglyceride levels may have a minimized danger of establishing dementia and experience slower cognitive decrease than those with lower levels. Compared to the most affordable group, the 2nd group was 15% less likely to establish dementia. Of the 1,416 individuals in the least expensive triglyceride group, 82 people, or 6%, established dementia. Of the 7,449 individuals in the second group, 358 people, or 5%, developed dementia. Of the 2,117 individuals in the fourth group, 73 people, or 3%, established dementia.
Research Methodology and Results
Scientists used health care information to recognize 18,294 people in one accomplice with a typical age of 75 who did not have a prior medical diagnosis of Alzheimers illness or dementia.
Individuals were followed for an average of 6 years. During that time, 823 people established dementia.
Researchers looked at participants measurements of total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) each year of the study.
Then researchers divided individuals into 4 groups based on fasting triglyceride levels. Of the overall group, typical triglycerides were 106 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). For grownups, a normal or healthy triglyceride level is listed below 150 mg/dL.
After adjusting for variables that could affect the threat of dementia including education and cholesterol-lowering treatments, scientists discovered every doubling of triglyceride levels was related to an 18% lower danger of developing dementia.
Compared to the least expensive group, the second group was 15% less likely to develop dementia. Compared to the lowest group, they were 24% less most likely to establish dementia. Compared to the least expensive group, they were 36% less most likely to establish dementia.
Of the 1,416 individuals in the lowest triglyceride group, 82 people, or 6%, developed dementia. Of the 7,449 people in the second group, 358 people, or 5%, established dementia.
The scientists likewise verified their outcomes in another dataset made up of 68,200 older individuals from the U.K. Among them, 2,778 individuals developed dementia over a typical time of 12 years. They observed a constant outcome which reveals a 17% decreased threat of dementia with every doubling of triglycerides levels.
Future directions and possible ramifications
Scientists also found that greater triglycerides were also related to a slower decrease in composite cognition, a combined result from tests of worldwide function, psychomotor language, speed and executive function, and memory over time.
” Future studies are needed to examine whether specific components within triglycerides might promote much better cognitive function, with the hope of developing new preventive methods,” Zhou stated.
A limitation of the research study was researchers looked just at individuals 65 and older who had no cognitive issues initially, so the findings are not generalizable to other populations.
Recommendation: “Association Between Triglycerides and Risk of Dementia in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Prospective Cohort Study” by Zhen Zhou, Joanne Ryan, Andrew M Tonkin, Sophia Zoungas, Paul Lacaze, Rory Wolfe, Suzanne G Orchard, Anne M Murray, John J Mcneil, Chenglong Yu, Gerald F Watts, Sultana Monira Hussain, Lawrence J Beilin, Michael Ernst, Nigel Stocks, Robyn L Woods, Chao Zhu, Christopher Reid, Raj C Shah, Trevor T Chong, Ajay Sood, Kerry M Sheets and Mark Nelson, 24 October 2023, Neurology.DOI: 10.1212/ WNL.0000000000207923.
The study was supported by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and HCF Research Foundation..
