You Need to Know, There is a Relationship between Cholesterol and Hypertension with the Risk of Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's Illustration (ANTARA/Shutterstock/Orawan Pattarawimonchai)

JAKARTA - People with genes that make it more likely to have high cholesterol (HDL) and high blood pressure are at greater risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study in the journal JAMA Network Open.

For the purposes of the study, the researchers, as published by WebMD, Thursday, May 18, used data from 39.106 people with Alzheimer's and 401.577 other people who did not and used it for comparison in the analysis.

The DNA used in this study came from the European Alzheimer & Dementia Biobank, which includes data from people in 11 European countries.

The study authors acknowledged the lack of diversity among the people in the study limited the findings.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia. According to the Mayo Clinic, the brains of Alzheimer's patients shrink and brain cells die. Persistent setbacks affect thinking, behavior, social skills and the ability to function independently.

Researchers around the world are working to uncover the causes of dementia, and many studies have linked the progressive disease to genetics and modifiable lifestyles.

University of Texas Alzheimer's expert Sudha Seshadri, MD, who was not involved in the study, said the research was based on her own needs. According to her, the fact that HDL is higher, raises some concerns about dementia.

Higher HDL cholesterol can protect people from heart problems, and they in turn live longer with more time for developing dementia.

“This is research that needs to be replicated and better understood. It's certainly interesting. But that's just one piece of information," she told CNN.