More on Alzheimer's -- and cholesterol

A 2002 story in USA Today reported that scientists had linked high cholesterol to the probability of developing Alzheimer's disease. The paper reported that "high cholesterol levels appear to harm the brain and lead to the type of mental decline seen in Alzheimer's disease" -- but that "older women who took drugs called statins... had less mental impairment than non-users."

Ah, but that was controversial. Here's a link to a 2005 article published on health-and-cholesterol.com that sets out to debunk the myth that Alzheimer's and cholesterol levels are related.

And now?

Science Daily reports today that "People with high cholesterol in their early 40s are more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than those with low cholesterol, according to new research." This study, presented at the ongoing meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, says, according to the linked article, that "it would be best for both physicians and patients to attack high cholesterol levels in their 40s to reduce the risk of dementia."

Welcome to Chicago, ladies and gentlemen. But do you wonder why patients are confused?