Does Low Cholesterol have any Relation to Alzheimers?

The human body makes all the cholesterol that it needs. The problem comes along when a person's diet, (animal-based) puts too much cholesterol into the digestive system. The body can't effectively remove it, so it backs up into the arteries. Blocked cerebral arteries can lead to decreased blood flow to the brain-so, there may very be cognitive deficits. I don't think low cholesterol would cause Alzheimer's disease.

My mother was never on cholesterol lowering drugs and had Alzheimers.

I think the medical community is sometimes grabbing at straws when they try to find causes/preventions for Alzheimers. My stepmother always did the 'right' thing - exercise, healthy balanced diet, brain training activities, graduate level coursework well into her 70's. And now has dementia.

On 4/11/2014 ibb38 said:

I think the medical community is sometimes grabbing at straws when they try to find causes/preventions for Alzheimers. My stepmother always did the 'right' thing - exercise, healthy balanced diet, brain training activities, graduate level coursework well into her 70's. And now has dementia.

You are right. I've known good people that were health-conscious, and did everything right and still got illnesses associated with poor health care practices. Then, I've known rotten people that did everything wrong and just wouldn't die. Ain't it a be-atch?

Does Low Cholesterol have any Relation to Alzheimers?

Low Total Cholesterol numbers are subjective depending on one's doctor or health issue. If one, like myself, has had a heart attack or 2, that number might be a whole lot different as to was is too low. Most Cardiologists and other doctors don't base their patients recovery on what some say "is normal or low". They base this on each individual patient/their health practices/exercise habits and also their genetic predisposition. I personally have never let a doctor tell me "normal/good" and those terms when it comes to numeric results. I want the numbers and I will decide myself what is my normal.

My mother-in-law and my wife have very low blood lipid readings and it is more genetic than any type of food program they have followed over the decades. My mother-in-law is 88 years old and now is back working after recovering from her broken hip in December. She hasn't a hint of this terrible disease.

I've read tons of books about all blood lipids since the 1970's when Dr. Kenneth Cooper wrote his first book solely about cholesterol. This book spelled out in simple detail what it to the medical profession almost 30 more years to acknowledge his findings and make them public knowledge. I saw nothing in any of his books that would give even a hint that ones level of cholesterol has anything to do with Alzheimer's Disease.

On 4/11/2014 lainelane said:

I just heard a nutritionist speaking about cholesterol and Alzheimers. It seems our nerve coverings (myelin) are made up of cholesterol. When there is a defect or inadequate covering of the nerves by this material, there is a problem with nerve (and possibly brain) function. Its not all that simple, but I wonder if the increase in Alzheimers has anything to do with the multiplying numbers of people on cholesterol-lowering drugs.

On 4/11/2014 rac71 said:

On 4/11/2014 lainelane said:

I just heard a nutritionist speaking about cholesterol and Alzheimers. It seems our nerve coverings (myelin) are made up of cholesterol. When there is a defect or inadequate covering of the nerves by this material, there is a problem with nerve (and possibly brain) function. Its not all that simple, but I wonder if the increase in Alzheimers has anything to do with the multiplying numbers of people on cholesterol-lowering drugs.

Interesting. A while back studies said high HDL caused Alzheimer's. I resisted cholesterol-reducing drugs because my HDL was over 100. Of course, my LDL was twice that, but still, it was a beautiful HDL number.

Dad has Alzheimer's going on now. Never had a problem with cholesterol that I know of. I wonder, does his past obesity, or his diabetes have anything to with it? So much is unknown.

IMO there isn't an increase in Alzheimer's. Decades ago people were just called ""senile"".

Same for bipolar disorder diagnosis rates. It just went by another name years ago.

I suspect the same may be true for ADHD and a host of other neurological/cognitive function disorders.