title: Low LDL cholesterol and increased risk of Parkinson's disease: prospective results from Honolulu-Asia Aging Study.
abstract: Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels are suggested to be associated inversely with Parkinson's disease (PD). To test the hypothesis that LDL-C levels may increase PD risk, we studied a prospective cohort of 3,233 men (Honolulu-Asia Aging Study) for whom the LDL-C from fasting lipid profiles was obtained during 1991 to 1993. The cohort was followed longitudinally until 2001 for incident Parkinson's cases. During follow-up, 41 men developed PD (18.4/10,000 person-years). Although the incidence of PD increased with decreasing LDL-C in a dose-dependent manner, the association was only significant for men aged 71 to 75 years. In the latter group, risk of PD declined from 38.5/10,000 person-years in men with LDL-C levels <80 mg/dl to less than 9/10,000 person-years for concentrations that were > or =140 mg/dl. After adjustment for age, smoking, coffee intake, and other factors, the relative odds of PD for men at the 80th versus the 20th percentile of LDL-C (135 vs. 85 mg/dl) was 0.4 (95% confidence interval: 0.2, 0.9). This prospective study supports the hypothesis that low LDL-C is associated with an increased risk of PD. Although confirmation is required, the underlying mechanisms may be useful in understanding key aspects of PD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Xuemei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA.|Department of Health Science, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Shiga, Japan.|The Pacific Health Research Institute and the Kuakini Medical Center, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.
authors.forename: Robert D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Abbott
authors.affiliation: The Pacific Health Research Institute and the Kuakini Medical Center, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.|Veterans Affairs Pacific Islands Health Care System, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.|Department of Geriatric Medicine, University of Hawaii John A Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.|Department of Medicine, University of Hawaii John A Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Petrovitch
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.|Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.|Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Richard B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Mailman
authors.affiliation: The Pacific Health Research Institute and the Kuakini Medical Center, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.|Veterans Affairs Pacific Islands Health Care System, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.|Department of Geriatric Medicine, University of Hawaii John A Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.|Department of Medicine, University of Hawaii John A Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.
authors.forename: G Webster
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Ross
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D053329:Apolipoprotein E2 / Q000097:blood*; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D053329:Apolipoprotein E2; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL