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Mild cognitive impairment associates with concurrent decreases in serum cholesterol and cholesterol-related lipoprotein subclasses

The journal of nutrition, health & aging volume 16, pages 631–635 (2012)Cite this article

Abstract

Background and objective

Accumulating evidence suggests that serum lipids are associated with cognitive decline and dementias. However, majority of the existing information concerns only serum total cholesterol (TC) and data at the level of lipoprotein fractions and subclasses is limited. The aim of this study was to explore the levels and trends of main cholesterol and triglyceride measures and eight lipoprotein subclasses during normal aging and the development of mild cognitive impairment by following a group of elderly for six years.

Design

Longitudinal.

Setting

City of Kuopio, Finland.

Participants

45 elderly individuals of which 20 developed mild cognitive impairment (MCI) during the follow-up.

Measurements

On each visit participants underwent an extensive neuropsychological and clinical assessment. Lipoprotein levels were measured via 1H NMR from native serum samples.

Results

Serum cholesterol and many primarily cholesterol-associated lipoprotein measures clearly decreased in MCI while the trends were increasing for those elderly people who maintained normal cognition.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that a decreasing trend in serum cholesterol measures in elderly individuals may suffice as an indication for more detailed inspection for potential signs of cognitive decline.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Computational Medicine Research Group, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu & Biocenter Oulu, Oulu, Finland

    T. Tukiainen, M. J. Savolainen & Mika Ala-Korpela

  2. Department of Biomedical Engineering and Computational Science, Helsinki University of Technology, Espoo, Finland

    T. Tukiainen, P. Jylänki & K. Kaski

  3. FinnDiane Study Group, Folkhälsan Research Center, Folkhälsan Institute of Genetics, Biomedicum, Helsinki, Finland

    V. -P. Mäkinen & P. -H. Groop

  4. Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland

    V. -P. Mäkinen & P. -H. Groop

  5. A. I. Virtanen Institute, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland

    O. Gröhn

  6. Brain Research Unit, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland

    M. Hallikainen

  7. Department of Clinical Science, Neurology Unit, University of Kuopio and Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland

    H. Soininen, M. Kivipelto & T. Pirttilä

  8. Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

    M. Kivipelto

  9. Department of Internal Medicine and Biocenter Oulu, Clinical Research Center, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland

    M. J. Savolainen & Mika Ala-Korpela

  10. NMR Metabonomics Laboratory, Laboratory of Chemistry, Department of Biosciences, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland

    P. Soininen & Mika Ala-Korpela

  11. Computational Medicine Research Group Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine University of Oulu and Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, FI-90014, Oulu, Finland

    Mika Ala-Korpela

Authors
  1. T. Tukiainen
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  2. P. Jylänki
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  3. V. -P. Mäkinen
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  4. O. Gröhn
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  5. M. Hallikainen
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  6. H. Soininen
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  7. M. Kivipelto
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  8. K. Kaski
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  9. P. -H. Groop
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  10. M. J. Savolainen
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  11. T. Pirttilä
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  12. P. Soininen
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  13. Mika Ala-Korpela
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mika Ala-Korpela.

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Tukiainen, T., Jylänki, P., Mäkinen, V.P. et al. Mild cognitive impairment associates with concurrent decreases in serum cholesterol and cholesterol-related lipoprotein subclasses. J Nutr Health Aging 16, 631–635 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-011-0341-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-011-0341-9

Key words

  • Mild cognitive impairment
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • cholesterol
  • triglyceride
  • lipoprotein