Alzheimer's disease and the danger of lipids (i mean bad cholesterol, you know that)

Motto: “The idea is to die young as late as possible.” ― Ashley Montagu

This is a new ideology in the longevity research, and they are reffering at this as healthspan, as opposed to the idea of lifespan, that was used before. You need to aim to be healthier for as long as possible, not to live longer. As per the motto used for today post. Avoiding Alzheimer's disease and other forms of demetia should be one of our main priority. Let's continue our journey then. 

Testing for cholesterol is not a surefire diagnosis, as there can be people with high cholesterol and no vascular problems, aswell as people with normal cholesterol and significant vascular disease. The cardiovascular disease is a known contributor to the cognitive decline, which in turn can be a sign of Alzheimer's disease (AD) or vascular dementia. But do you know what is more dangerous than high cholesterol? Low cholesterol, as in brain decreasing in volume because of the lack of essential fatty acids. 

Quite a contradiction, isn't it? Measuring just the cholesterol can be quite ineffective in the AD risk assesment. But (there is always a but), there are some specific tests related to the cholesterol that can help you to undestand better the relation between lipids and AD. The tests and their normal values are:

1. LDL-p (LDL particle number) with normal values between 700-1000

2. OR sdLDL (small dense LDL) with normal values lower than 20 mg/dl (or 20% of the total LDL)

3. OR oxidised LDL with normal values lower than 60 U/L

4. total cholesterol with suggested values bigger than 150 (yes, bigger, not lower). 

I need to remind you that these are the recommended values for people at risk of AD, not for super-healthy young people. 

I am a bit tired now and i will go to sleep soon, but i will come back soon with another post about 2 essential vitamins (E - tocopherol and B1 - thiamine). 

Have a nice day!

G.