Affiliations: [a] The Cleo Roberts Center for Clinical Research, USA | [b] Midwestern University, Glendale Campus, USA | [c] Advanced Cardiology, Sun City AZ 85351, USA | [d] Ralph and Muriel Roberts Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Sun Health Research Institute, Sun City AZ 85351, USA
Correspondence:
[*]
Corresponding author: D. Larry Sparks PhD, Ralph and Muriel Roberts Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease Research Sun Health Research Institute, 10515 W. Santa Fe Dr, Sun City, AZ 85351, USA. Tel.: +1 623 876 5328; Fax: +1 623 875 6504; E-mail: [email protected].
Abstract: Objective:To characterize the lipid profile in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and to determine whether it differs from the cardiac risk profile. Background:Links between hypercholesterolemia and AD development continue to grow. Presently, limited information exists about the lipid profile characteristics in AD. Methods:We examined the lipid profiles (total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), lower-density lipoprotein (LDL), TC/HDL ratio, and triglyceride (TG) levels) of 153 subjects with probable/possible AD (mean age 77.2 ± 8.6 years, mean MMSE 19.9 ± 5.6) and 25 non-demented subjects with atherosclerotic heart disease (ASHD) (mean age 73.8 ± 7.2 years); neither on lipid lowering therapy. Results:Subjects with TC > 200 mg/dl composed 69% of AD and 72% of ASHD groups. Mean TC was 218.9 ± 38.9 mg/dl and 218.5 ± 9.2 mg/dl for AD and ASHD subjects respectively. AD subjects exhibited significantly higher HDL and lower TG and TC/HDL ratios. MMSE did not correlate with any lipid parameters in AD. Discussion:Elevated TC, LDL and TG with normal HDL and TC/HDL ratio characterize the lipid profile in AD, which somewhat overlaps with but may be distinct from the cardiac risk profile. MMSE does not correlate with lipid parameters suggesting no interaction between cholesterol and cognition in AD.
