Low cholesterol levels are associated with higher rates of dementia

This study was published in the Journals of Gerontology. Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences 2010 May;65(5):559-64

Study title and authors:
Relationship between low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and dementia in the elderly. The InChianti study.

Zuliani G, Cavalieri M, Galvani M, Volpato S, Cherubini A, Bandinelli S, Corsi AM, Lauretani F, Guralnik JM, Fellin R, Ferrucci L.
Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Internal Medicine, Gerontology and Geriatrics, University of Ferrara, Via Savonarola 9, 44100 Ferrara, Italy. gzuliani@hotmail.com

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20299544

The object of the study was to evaluate the association between cholesterol levels and the prevalence of dementia. At the start of the study a total of 1,051 individuals aged 65 years or over were assessed for dementia and again after three years.

The study found:
(a) After one year, individuals with dementia had significantly lower cholesterol levels and significantly lower levels of  high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol compared with individuals without dementia.
(b) After three years, individuals newly diagnosed with dementia had significantly lower cholesterol levels and significantly lower levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol compared with individuals without dementia.

The results of the study demonstrate that low cholesterol levels and low levels of HDL cholesterol are associated with higher rates of dementia.

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Low cholesterol levels lead to significantly higher death rates

This study was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2001 Sep;49(9):1142-7

 

Study title and authors:

The value of serum albumin and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in defining mortality risk in older persons with low serum cholesterol.

Volpato S, Leveille SG, Corti MC, Harris TB, Guralnik JM.

Epidemiology, Demography and Biometry Program, National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11559371

The objective of the study was to investigate the relationship between low cholesterol, albumin and death rates in older people. The study included 4,128 participants age 70 and older at (average age 78.7 years, range 70-103) who were followed for nearly five years.

Albumin is a protein in your bloodstream that helps transport a variety of important substances, including calcium, hormones, the protein bilirubin and important nutrients called fatty acids. Albumin also helps your blood maintain its osmotic pressure, which helps keep its water content from leaking through your blood vessels into surrounding tissue.

The study found:
(a) Those with low cholesterol had significantly higher death rates than those with normal and high cholesterol.
(b) Among participants with low cholesterol, those with albumin levels below 38 g/L had a 43% increase in death rates compared to those with albumin levels above 38 g/L.
(c) Among participants with low cholesterol and high albumin (above 38 g/L), those with levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol below 47 mg/dL (1.2 mmol/l) had a 32% reduction in death rates compared to those with abumin below 38 g/L.
(d) Among participants with low cholesterol and high albumin (above 38 g/L), those with levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol above 47 mg/dL (1.2 mmol/l) had a 62% reduction in death rates compared to those with abumin below 38 g/L.

The results of the study demonstrate that low cholesterol is significantly associated with higher death rates and that higher levels of albumin and HDL cholesterol are associated with lower death rates.

The best way to raise your albumin levels is to eat quality protein such as beef, pork, fish, chicken and eggs.

Eating a diet rich in saturated fat raises levels of HDL cholesterol the most. See here.

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High consumption of soft drinks increases the risk of heart disease and diabetes

This study was published in Circulation 2007 Jul 31;116(5):480-8

Study title and authors:

Soft drink consumption and risk of developing cardiometabolic risk factors and the metabolic syndrome in middle-aged adults in the community.

Dhingra R, Sullivan L, Jacques PF, Wang TJ, Fox CS, Meigs JB, D'Agostino RB, Gaziano JM, Vasan RS.

Framingham Heart Study, 73 Mount Wayte Ave, Suite 2, Framingham, MA 01702-5803, USA.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17646581

Metabolic syndrome is the name for a group of risk factors that raises your risk for heart disease and other health problems, such as diabetes and stroke. 

Metabolic syndrome was defined as the presence of three or more of the following: 

(i) Waist circumference more than 35 inches (women) or more than 40 inches (men).

(ii) Fasting blood glucose levels more than 100 mg/dL (5.5 mmol/l).

(iii) Triglycerides levels more than 150 mg/dL (1.69 mmol/l).

(iv) Blood pressure more than 135/85 mm Hg.

(v) High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol less than 40 mg/dL (1.03 mmol/l) (men) or less than 50 mg/dL (1.29 mmol/l) (women). 

This study investigated the incidence of metabolic syndrome and its components to soft drink consumption in 6.039 person-observations (average age 52.9 years) who were free of metabolic syndrome at the start of the study.

The study found that compared to those who drank less than one soft drink per day:

(a) Those who drank one or more soft drinks a day had a 31% increased risk of obesity.

(b) Those who drank one or more soft drinks a day had a 30% increased risk in having a bigger waist circumference.  

(c) Those who drank one or more soft drinks a day had a 25% increased risk of high fasting glucose levels.

(d) Those who drank one or more soft drinks a day had a 18% increased risk of high blood pressure.

(e) Those who drank one or more soft drinks a day had a 25% increased risk of elevated triglyceride levels.

(f) Those who drank one or more soft drinks a day had a 32% increased risk of low levels of the beneficial high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.

(g) Those who drank one or more soft drinks a day had a 44% increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome.

This study reveals that in middle-aged adults, soft drink consumption is associated with a higher incidence of metabolic syndrome and therefore a raised risk of health problems such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

Links to other studies:
Drinking cola is associated with a 87% increased risk for development of type 2 diabetes
Cola and other soft drinks increase the risk of diabetes by 24%
Both sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened drinks increase the risk type II diabetes

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Low carbohydrate diets improve blood glucose control in patients with Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young.

This study was published in the Journal of International Medical Research 2011;39(6):2296-301

Study title and authors:

The Influence of Dietary Carbohydrate Content on Glycaemia in Patients with Glucokinase Maturity-onset Diabetes of the Young.

Klupa T, Solecka I, Nowak N, Szopa M, Kiec-Wilk B, Skupien J, Trybul I, Matejko B, Mlynarski W, Malecki MT.

Department of Metabolic Diseases, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland; Krakow University Hospital, Krakow, Poland.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22289546

Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY) is a group of diabetes disorders that affects about 2% of people with diabetes. MODY is often not recognised and people may be treated as Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes by their doctors. 

MODY has the following characteristics:

(i) Diabetes presents at a young age, usually less than 25 years of age.

(ii) MODY runs in families through several generations. A parent with MODY has a 50% chance of passing on MODY to their child. 

(iii) People with MODY do not produce enough insulin; this is different to Type 2 diabetes where people frequently produce lots of insulin but don't respond to their insulin.

There are six varieties of MODY:

MODY 1 Rare form of MODY. Similar effects to MODY 3.

MODY 2 Causes between 10-65% of MODY. Causes mild diabetes. Often diagnosed in childhood or pregnancy.

MODY 3 Causes between 20-75% of MODY. Causes progressive diabetes and patients may get diabetes complications. Usually diagnosed after puberty.

MODY 4 Rare form of MODY. Seems to produce relatively mild diabetes.

MODY 5 Rare form of MODY. Associated with kidney disease that is often diagnosed before diabetes.

MODY 6 Extremely rare form of MODY. Severity of diabetes unknown as yet. 

This study concerns MODY 2 which is a mutation in the glucokinase gene on chromosome 7. Glucokinase is an enzyme that acts as a glucose sensor so the beta cells in the pancreas produce the correct amount of insulin after a meal. However in MODY 2 the mutated glucokinase enzyme is less responsive to glucose entering the blood stream which results in continuously elevated high blood glucose levels.

This study evaluated the effect of the quantity of dietary carbohydrate on glucose levels in 10 glucokinase mutation carriers: seven with MODY and three with prediabetes. The patients were exposed to a 60% high-carbohydrate diet for two days and then switched to 25% low-carbohydrate diet for another 2 days.

The study found:

(a) On the high-carbohydrate diet, glucose levels were significantly higher compared with the low-carbohydrate diet.

(b) On the high-carbohydrate diet, spikes in glucose levels occurred significantly more frequently compared with the low-carbohydrate diet.

This study suggests that diets with a low carbohydrate content may improve blood glucose control in patients with Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young.

Links to other studies:

The case for high fat/low carbohydrate diets in diabetes management

High fat/low carbohydrate diet decreases risk of heart disease

Diabetes patients health benefits from a high fat/low carbohydrate diet

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Statins and fibrates increase the risk of Parkinson's

This study was published in Drug Safety 2008;31(5):399-407

Study title and authors:
Use of statins and the risk of Parkinson's disease: a retrospective case-control study in the UK.

Becker C, Jick SS, Meier CR.
Basel Pharmacoepidemiology Unit, Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18422380

This study set out to explore the risk of the development of Parkinson's disease in people with untreated high cholesterol and with people treated with statins and fibrates. 3,637 people with Parkinson's were compared with the same number of controls.

The study found:
(a) Those people with high cholesterol who did not take statins had a 2% lower risk of Parkinson's compared to those with lower cholesterol.
(b) Those who took statins had a 6% higher risk of Parkinson's.
(c) Those who took fibrates had a 25% higher risk of Parkinson's.

The results of this study show that statins and fibrates increase the risk of Parkinson's.

Links to other studies:
Possible link with statins and dementia
Statins implicated in multiple sclerosis
Statins may be implicated in neurodegenerative diseases

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Adverse side effects may stop up to 75% of patients from continuing with statin treatment

This study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association 2002 Jul 24-31;288(4):462-7

Study title and authors:

Adherence with statin therapy in elderly patients with and without acute coronary syndromes.

Jackevicius CA, Mamdani M, Tu JV.

Department of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation, Pharmacy Department and Women's Health Program, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, 200 Elizabeth St, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 2C4. Cynthia.Jackevicius@uhn.on.ca

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12132976

This study was designed to compare 2-year adherence rates of statin prescriptions in 3 groups of patients. All patients were over 65 years old.

The groups were:
(i) Those with recent acute coronary syndrome. (Heart attack and unstable angina) (22,379)
(ii) Those with chronic coronary artery disease. (36,106)
(iii) Those without coronary disease. (85,020)

The adherence rates were:
(i) 40.1% in the acute coronary syndrome group.
(ii) 36.1% in the chronic coronary artery disease group.
(iii) 25.4% in those without coronary disease.

The very high dropout rate of these diverse groups of patients taking statins, suggests that a large percentage of them would have suffered from some of the myriad side effects of statins.

Links to other studies:
Even brief exposure to statins causes muscle damage
Statin treatment increases cardiovascular diseases in diabetics by 31%
Women should not be prescribed statins as they fail to provide any overall health benefit

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High HDL cholesterol gives protection from lung cancer.

This study was published in Lung Cancer 2008 Sep;61(3):292-300

Study title and authors:

HDL-cholesterol and the incidence of lung cancer in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study.

Kucharska-Newton AM, Rosamond WD, Schroeder JC, McNeill AM, Coresh J, Folsom AR; Members of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study.

Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC 27514, United States. Anna Newton@unc.edu

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18342390

This 13 year study examined the association of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels with the incidence of lung cancer in 14,547 people.

The study found that those with the lowest HDL cholesterol had a 45% increased risk of lung cancer.

The best way to raise your HDL cholesterol levels is to consume a diet high in saturated fat. See here, here and here.

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