Having high blood sugar and cholesterol levels on your Tuesday increases dementia risk, experts say

Having high blood sugar in your thirties can increase your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease later in life, one study found.

Researchers followed 5,000 adults throughout their lives, regularly checking their blood glucose and cholesterol levels.

People with the highest levels of ‘good’ cholesterol in their 30s and 40s had a 15% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s in their 70s.

And high levels in middle age are associated with a greater risk of the disease later in life.

Similar results were seen with higher resting blood sugar, but only for adults in their 50s.

The researchers said that while other studies have linked dementia to cholesterol and blood sugar levels, these findings suggest that ‘these associations extend into much earlier life than what people thought before’.

Dr Lindsay Farrer, Boston University School of Medicine, added: ‘Targeted interventions for cholesterol and glucose management starting in adulthood can help maximize cognitive health in later life.’

People with the lowest levels of ‘good’ cholesterol in their 30s and 40s had a 15% higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease in their 70s.

Charities say Alzheimer’s – the most common type of dementia – affects 850,000 people in the UK.

About 5.8 million people have a memory-robbing disorder in the US.

There is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Medicines can only temporarily relieve the worst symptoms.

This disorder, which mainly affects the elderly, is thought to be caused by the accumulation of abnormal plaques in the brain.

Dozens of studies over the past few decades have linked unhealthy arteries and poor heart health to this condition.

In the new study, published in the journal Alzheimer’s and Dementia, experts looked at the health records of 4,932 people between 1979 and 2016.

They measured blood sugar, cholesterol and fat levels, and measured blood pressure every four years.

Results were compared with dementia diagnosis rates among the same participants.

For people aged 35 to 50, a 15mg/dl increase in HDL – which experts say can keep blood sugar levels under control – reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by 15 per cent by age 70.

For people aged 51 to 60 years, a 15mg/dl increase in good cholesterol was associated with an 18 percent reduced risk of dementia later in life.

Doctors say a healthy HDL level is above 60mg/dl. Anything below 40mg/dl is considered low.

In people in their 50s, a 15mg/dl increase in blood sugar was associated with a 14.5% increased risk of dementia.

Blood sugar levels below 140mg/dL are considered normal, with anything above 200mg/dl considered diabetes.

Previous research has shown that having too much sugar in the blood over time can damage organs, including the brain.

Dr Farrer added: ‘Our findings confirm other studies that have linked cholesterol and glucose levels measured in the blood with future risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

‘We have demonstrated for the first time that these associations last into life much earlier than previously thought.’

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