engleski

The role of increased cholesterol levels in Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia

Recent studies have shown that vascular dementia (VD) and Alzheimer's dementia (AD) might overlap in many aspects. Also it was suggested that elevated cholesterol levels could have some influence on AD onset and progression. The aim of this study was to evaluate the levels of cholesterol in patients with both types of dementia. Sixty-six patients with dementia were enrolled in this study. AD was diagnosed in 43 and VAD in 23 patients. In a group of 43 AD patients (22 males, mean age 72.79 +/-8.19) plasma values of cholesterol were analyzed. In AD group, 18 patients had normal, and 25 had elevated plasma cholesterol levels, while in VAD group 12 patients had elevated and 11 had normal plasma cholesterol levels. Mean plasma level of total cholesterol was 5.39 +/-1.05, LDL 3.33 +/- 0.95, and HDL 1.41 +/- 0-34 in patients with AD. In patients with VAD mean plasma level of total cholesterol was 5.78 +/-1.06, HDL 1.44 +/- 0.57, LDL 3.72 +/- 0.85. The levels of total cholesterol, LDL, HDL were higher in a group of patients with VAD, but the difference did not reach statistical significance. Vascular risk factors are known to be associated with VAD. Our data, however, show that patients with AD also have elevated plasma levels of cholesterol. Our results support the idea that cholesterol could have some influence on etiology, onset and progression of both AD and VAD, thus implying similarities in pathogenesis of both diseases.

vascular dementia; Alzheimer's dementia; cholesterol levels

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