title: Serum total cholesterol, statins and cognition in non-demented elderly.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The association between serum total cholesterol (TC), lipid-lowering drugs and cognition in the elderly is currently controversial.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between TC, lipid-lowering drugs and cognitive functions in non-demented elderly.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants of the Cardiovascular risk factors, aging and dementia (CAIDE) study were derived from random, population-based samples previously studied in 1972, 1977, 1982 or 1987. Analyses are based on 1382 non-demented participants re-examined in 1998 after an average follow-up of 21 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  High midlife TC was associated with poorer late-life episodic memory and category fluency. TC decreased in most individuals over time. A more pronounced decrease was related to poorer late-life episodic memory and psychomotor speed, but not if subjects used statins.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The TC-cognition relationship seems bidirectional. High midlife TC is associated with poorer late-life cognition, but decreasing TC after midlife may reflect poorer cognitive status. Statins may be beneficial for cognition in non-demented elderly.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Kuopio, P.O. Box 1627 FIN-70211, Kuopio, Finland. alina.solomon@uku.fi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Solomon
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kåreholt
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ngandu
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wolozin
authors.forename: S W S
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Macdonald
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Winblad
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nissinen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tuomilehto
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Soininen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kivipelto
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013223:Statistics as Topic
chemical_list: D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D002784:Cholesterol