A new study suggests that seniors whose cholesterol levels rise and fall year after year may be at increased risk of dementia and other mental health problems.
Researchers reported in the journal Neurology that people with the most fluctuating cholesterol had a 60 percent increased risk of dementia.
The researchers also found that they had a 23 percent increased risk of cognitive impairment, an early stage of brain aging that can lead to dementia.
The findings suggest that annual fluctuations in cholesterol could be a new biomarker for identifying people at risk of dementia, Zhen Zhu, a research fellow at Monash University in Melbourne, said in a news release.
He added that the results provide more information than actual cholesterol levels measured at a single time.
