Just when we think we’ve got one important aspect of our health all figured out, research throws us a curve ball.

Take HDL cholesterol — the “good” stuff.

While it’s true that optimal HDL levels are important for good cardiovascular health, research has also linked very high HDL to a 42 percent increased risk for dementia in adults over 75.

But research published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism has dug deeper — finding that it’s HDL quality, not quantity that matters…

And that when it’s off, it could contribute to the first sign of Alzheimer’s disease in women.

Quality over quantity for brain health

According to a research team from the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, menopausal women need to consider not just the quantity, but the quality of the total cholesterol carried by HDL particles circulating in their bloodstream.

The team measured the size, composition, and level of functioning of HDL particles in the bloodstreams of 503 women who had taken part in the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN).

Their findings showed that, over time, the number of larger HDL particles in the women’s bodies increased, and that these larger particles did not function as well as smaller HDL particles.

Then, from 2000 to 2016, the researchers repeatedly assessed the women’s cognitive function and compared their data to changes in the women’s HDL particles as they aged.

“We were able to show that as early as midlife, women who have more of the smaller-sized particles and those whose particles’ concentrations of phospholipids increased over the menopause transition are more likely to experience better episodic memory later in life,” says Dr. Samar El Khoudary, who added that loss of working memory is the first sign of Alzheimer’s disease.

Improve HDL quality to lower memory loss risk

The idea that lipids (fats) play a crucial role in preventing Alzheimer’s isn’t a new one.

Fortunately, in an earlier study, Dr. El Khoudary’s team showed that health behaviors like those included in the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8^TM can improve the quality of HDL particles by adding more phospholipid-rich particles to the bloodstream.

The eight factors in Life’s Essential 8™ include advice to:

• Eat better
• Be more active
• Quit tobacco
• Get healthy sleep
• Manage weight
• Control cholesterol
• Manage blood sugar
• Manage blood pressure

That top one can stump some people, but just follow The M.I.N.D. diet — specifically designed for protecting your brain while considering factors like blood pressure.

To follow the diet, here’s what you need to eat and drink each day:

• At least three servings of whole grains
• A green leafy vegetable and one other vegetable
• A glass of wine (optional)
• A snack of nuts

You should also have beans every other day or so, eat poultry and berries at least twice a week and have fish at least once a week.

Other factors that will help get those lipid levels in order are being physically active, getting enough sleep, and maintaining a healthy body weight.

Fortunately, heart research has caught up to the importance of small particle HDL for heart health too.

So get started optimizing your cholesterol for better heart and brain health.

Sources:

HDL quality, not quantity, contribute to the first sign of Alzheimer’s disease in women — Eureka Alert

High-density Lipoprotein Over Midlife and Future Cognition in Women: The SWAN HDL Ancillary Study — The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism

Swan – Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation — swanstudy.org