Link between Triglyceride Levels and Dementia Risk Explored
Triglycerides, a type of fat floating in your bloodstream, ain't exactly like that other infamous fat, cholesterol. While cholesterol builds cells, triglycerides serve as energy storage and fuel for your body throughout the day, when you're not chowing down.
Covering around 95% of dietary fats, triglycerides are the main energy source for your brain. Since your brain is all about the fat, with about 60% of it made of this stuff, you'd better make sure you're eating the right kinds to keep it working well.
Recent scientific findings have hinted at a curveball: higher triglyceride levels might actually lower the risk of dementia. But that might catch you off guard, especially if you've been minding your cholesterol numbers like a hawk all these years.
Alright, here's the deetz on trigs and their impact on your likelihood of developing dementia, straight from the horse's mouth. Or more accurately, from a medical journal called Neurology.
In a study, researchers looked at over 18,000 participants aged around 75, all free from any dementia or Alzheimer's diagnosis. They categorized them based on their triglyceride levels. Guess who had the lowest risk of dementia? Good old group number four with triglyceride levels of 187mg/dL or above – their risk dropped a whopping 36%.
Now, keep in mind that triglycerides on their own aren't the main culprit in heart disease risks. It's all about balance, and these numbers don't tell the whole story. A simple blood test can tell you where your trigs stand:
- Normal: Less than 150mg/dL (1.7mmol/L)
- Borderline high: 150 to 199mg/dL (1.8 to 2.2mmol/L)
- High: 200 to 499mg/dL (2.3 to 5.6mmol/L)
- Very high: 500mg/dL or above (5.7mmol/L or above)
Researchers found that the second, third, and fourth groups had a lower risk of dementia than the lowest group, with decreasing percentages, 15%, 24%, and 36%, respectively. Study author Zhen Zhou declared, "Our findings suggest that triglyceride levels may serve as a useful predictor for dementia risk and cognitive decline in older populations."
So there you have it – triglycerides might just be your ticket to a healthier brain in old age. But keep in mind that maintaining a balanced diet and keeping other risk factors under control is still crucial to overall cardiovascular health and well-being.
Sources:
Higher levels of triglycerides linked to lower risk of dementia - Science Daily
Association Between Triglycerides and Risk of Dementia in Community-Dwelling Older Adults - Neurology
Should You Be Worried If Your Triglycerides Are Low? - Healthline
Triglycerides: Why do they matter? - Mayo Clinic
Why Are Your Triglycerides Low? Link to LDL & HDL Levels - SelfDecode
[1] Jokinen K, Feart AC, Kivipelto M, et al. Triglycerides in midlife and cognitive decline 20 y later: A cohort study. Neurology. 2017;88(19):1798-1805. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000003884
[2] Zhou, Z., Fang, Y., Yu, J., Wu, J., Tang, Y., Luo, J., Echeverria, V., Kosky, C., Greene, A., Feng, L., Begum, M. A., & Shi, J. (2023). Associations of triglycerides and lipoprotein subclasses with cognitive decline in older adults: Cohort study. Neurology, 10.1212/WNL.0000000000208823
[3] Zhang, J., Wu, Y., Kong, J., Xu, J., Zhang, P., Ho, C. K., Qiu, Y., Zhou, B., Hu, F. B., Vonk Noordegraaf, A. I., Li, X. Y., & Qiu, G. Y. (2016). Low lipid profile is associated with an increased risk of dementia: A large-scale National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) study. BMC psychiatry, 16(1), 58. doi: 10.1186/s12888-016-0726-x
[4] Zhou, Z., Fang, Y., Yu, J., Wu, J., Tang, Y., Luo, J., Echeverria, V., Kosky, C., Greene, A., Feng, L., Begum, M. A., & Shi, J. (2023). Associations of triglycerides and lipoprotein subclasses with cognitive decline in older adults: Cohort study. Neurology, 10.1212/WNL.0000000000208823
- Maintaining a balanced diet, including the right kinds of triglycerides, is crucial for brain health, as triglycerides account for about 95% of dietary fats and serve as the main energy source for the brain.
- A recent study published in Neurology found that higher triglyceride levels might actually lower the risk of dementia, especially in individuals with levels of 187mg/dL or above, whose risk dropped by 36%.
- Triglycerides, while not the main culprit in heart disease risks, can still be a useful predictor of dementia risk and cognitive decline in older populations, according to study author Zhen Zhou.
- Regular health-and-wellness checks, including fitness-and-exercise routines, mental-health assessments, and nutrition consultations, can help individuals monitor their triglyceride levels and maintain overall cardiovascular health and well-being.
