Diabetes, High Cholesterol May Speed Alzheimer's Decline

A recent study by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center indicated that a history of diabetes and high cholesterol was associated with a faster rate of cognitive decline among those with Alzheimer's disease. The study followed 156 individuals with Alzheimer's for an average of 3.5 years.

Interestingly, a history of heart disease and stroke were only found to be linked to faster cognitive decline among people with Alzheimer's who also had the ApoE 4 gene, which increases the likelihood of developing the disease.

The researchers aren't sure why diabetes and high cholesterol tend to speed cognitive decline, but they theorized that the conditions may increase oxidative stress and/or inflammation in the brain, both of which may trigger the formation of plaques and tangles.

The study is yet another reminder that reducing vascular risk factors may not only help prevent Alzheimer's; it may also slow the progression of the disease among those already affected.

Illustration © A.D.A.M.