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(Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 2008;28:1556.)
© 2008 American Heart Association, Inc.

Cell Biology/Signaling

Low HDL Cholesterol Is a Risk Factor for Deficit and Decline in Memory in Midlife

The Whitehall II Study

Archana Singh-Manoux; David Gimeno; Mika Kivimaki; Eric Brunner; Michael G. Marmot

From INSERM u687-IFR69, the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health (A.S.-M., D.G., M.K., E.B., M.G.M.), University College London, UK; and the Centre de Gérontologie, Hôpital Ste Périne (A.S.-M.), AP-HP, France.

Correspondence to Archana Singh-Manoux, INSERM U687-IFR69, Hôpital Paul Brousse, Bât 15/16, 16 Avenue Paul Vaillant Couturier, 94807 VILLEJUIF CEDEX, France. E-mail Archana.Singh-Manoux{at}inserm.fr

Objective— The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between fasting serum lipids and short-term verbal memory in middle-aged adults.

Methods and Results— Total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides, and memory were measured twice, at mean ages 55 and 61, in 3673 male and female participants of the Whitehall II study. Short-term verbal memory was assessed using a 20-word list. Logistic regression was used to model associations between ATP-III categories of lipids and memory deficit (recall of 4 words) and decline (decrease of 2 words). Analyses were adjusted for education, occupational position, coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, use of medication, diabetes, smoking, and alcohol consumption. Compared to high HDL-C (60 mg/dL), low HDL-C (<40 mg/dL) was associated with greater odds of memory deficit at the first (OR=1.27; 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.91 to 1.77) and second wave of this study (OR=1.53; 95% CI=1.04 to 2.25) in fully adjusted analysis. Decrease in HDL-C over the 5-year follow-up period was associated with decline in memory in the adjusted analysis (OR=1.61; 95% CI=1.19 to 2.16); no interaction with APOE e4 status was present.

Conclusions— HDL-C levels are potentially modifiable, and our results suggest that low HDL-C is associated with poor memory and decline in memory in middle-aged adults.

We examined the relationship between fasting serum lipids and short-term verbal memory in middle-aged adults. Low HDL cholesterol and decreasing levels over a 5-year follow-up period were associated with poor memory and decline in memory, respectively. No other lipid that was tested was associated with memory.

Key Words: HDL cholesterol • memory • lipids • Whitehall II

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Anatol Kontush and M. John Chapman
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