Living your best life at 35 while neglecting cholesterol and glucose levels may increase your risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Lower HDL (high-density cholesterol) and high triglyceride levels detected in blood as early as age 35 are linked to a higher incidence of Alzheimer’s disease several decades later, according to researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM).

They also discovered that high blood glucose levels assessed between the ages of 51 and 60 are linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease in the future.

“While our findings confirm other studies that linked cholesterol and glucose levels measured in blood with future risk of Alzheimer’s disease, we have shown for the first time that these associations extend much earlier in life than previously thought,” says senior author Lindsay A. Farrer.

Although high LDL has been consistently associated with an increased risk of AD in numerous previous studies, the researchers believe that the link between HDL and AD has been inconclusive, possibly because the majority of studies examining these relationships were conducted on individuals aged 55 years or older at baseline.

The data for this investigation came from individuals in the Framingham Heart Study, who were checked at around four-year intervals during the majority of their adult lives. At each assessment and across three age periods during adulthood (35-50, 51-60, 61-70), correlations of AD with numerous recognized risk variables for cardiovascular disease and diabetes (including HDL, LDL, triglycerides, glucose, blood pressure, smoking, and body mass index) were assessed.

Lower HDL (good cholesterol) levels were found to be predictive of AD in early (35-50 years) and middle (51-60 years) adulthood, as well as high glucose levels in the blood (a precursor to diabetes) in mid-adulthood.

“These findings show for the first time that cardiovascular risk factors, including HDL which has not been consistently reported as a strong risk factor for AD, contribute to future risk of AD starting as early as age 35,” adds first and corresponding author Xiaoling Zhang.

According to the researchers, beginning in early adulthood, effective treatment of these factors can reduce one’s risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease.

“Intervention targeting cholesterol and glucose management starting in early adulthood can help maximize cognitive health in later life,” says Farrer.

Source: 10.1002/alz.12641

Image Credit: Getty

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