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. 2003 Nov;74(11):1530–1535. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.74.11.1530

Serum lipids and memory in a population based cohort of middle age women

V Henderson 1, J Guthrie 1, L Dennerstein 1
PMCID: PMC1738219  PMID: 14617710

Abstract

Objective:To assess the relation between serum lipids and memory in a healthy middle age cohort of women.

Methods: For 326 women in the Melbourne Women's Midlife Health Project aged 52–63 years, serum lipids were measured annually, and memory was assessed during the eighth annual visit.

Results:There was a small but significant association between current low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) concentrations and memory; for total cholesterol (TC) the association approached significance. Better memory was associated with positive changes in TC and LDL-C based on lipid measurements three years, but not six years, earlier. Memory performance was lowest among women in the lowest quartile of current LDL-C values and among women whose LDL-C levels declined over the previous three years. High density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and triglyceride concentrations were unassociated with memory. The association between memory and TC and LDL-C was primarily related to immediate recall and not delayed recall performance on the word list task. Low cholesterol has been linked with depression, but lipid measures and self-rated mood were unrelated.

Conclusions:Higher serum concentrations of LDL-C, and relatively recent increases in TC and LDL-C concentrations, are associated with better memory in healthy middle age women. Possible cognitive effects of cholesterol reduction should be considered in future studies of lipid lowering agents.

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Selected References

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