Dementia fears as Britons with 'good' cholesterol more at risk of developing illness - warning

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is often referred to as "good" cholesterol as it absorbs cholesterol in the blood before transporting it to the liver to be flushed out.

High levels of this can lower cholesterol and the risk of heart disease and stroke.

However, HDL at a high level has been linked to an increased risk of dementia in older adults, according to a new study.

The research, published in Lancet Regional Health Western Pacific, monitored more than 18,000 adults over the age of 65.

During the six-year study, 850 adults developed dementia and it concluded: "High HDL-C levels were associated with increased risk of all-cause dementia."

While the optimal amount of HDL can help reduce cholesterol, having too much can increase dementia risk, scientists explained.

They said: "In the group with very high HDL-C levels (>80 mg/dL) the rate of incident dementia was 81 events per 10,000 person-years compared to 69 events per 10,000 person-years amongst those with an HDL-C of 40–60 mg/dL."

Some foods can increase how much "good" cholesterol someone has.

Those who developed dementia during the study were also more likely to be older, female and less physically active.

More research is needed into the link between high HDL and dementia.

Experts at Alzheimer's Society added more information is required.

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They said: "One study analysed the link between cholesterol levels and the development of dementia in nearly one million people.

"It showed that high levels of a specific sort of cholesterol (called HDL) in the blood were associated with an increased risk of developing dementia.

"However, cholesterol from the blood cannot enter the brain. The brain does use cholesterol, but it makes it ‘in-house’.

"So how blood cholesterol influences cholesterol in the brain and how this relates to dementia risk is yet to be understood."

This comes as older adults who own a pet were shown to be less likely to develop the illness.