Association of Higher Levels of High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol in Elderly Individuals and Lower Risk of Late-Onset Alzheimer Disease

Objective: To reexamine the association of lipid levels with Alzheimer disease (AD) using Cox proportional hazards models. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: Northern Manhattan, New York. Participants: One thousand one hundred thirty elderly individuals free of cognitive impairment at baseline. Main Outcome Measure: High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. Results: Higher levels of HDL-C (>55 mg/dL) were associated with a decreased risk of both probable and possible AD and probable AD compared with lower HDL-C levels (hazard ratio, 0.4; 95% confidence interval, 0.20.9; P=.03 and hazard ratio, 0.4; 95% confidence interval, 0.2-0.9; P=.03). In addition, higher levels of total and non HDL-C were associated with a decreased risk of AD in analyses adjusting for age, sex, education, ethnic group, and APOEe4 genotype. Conclusion: High HDL-C levels in elderly individuals may be associated with a decreased risk of AD.