'Good' Cholesterol Protects Women Against Dementia
 (Philadelphia, Reuters Health, 7/21/04)

Elizabeth Devore, a graduate student at Harvard Medical School in Boston, and associates, reviewed the health and lifestyle information gathered from 39,000 women during the years from 1992 to 1995 by the ongoing Women’s Health Study. The investigators compared this baseline information with evaluations conducted on 4,081 older subjects during the period from 1998 to 2000. The researchers found that lower levels of HDL, the “good” cholesterol, were associated with impaired mental functioning. These findings suggest that maintaining sufficient HDL levels may help defend against Alzheimer's disease. Devore notes that exercise “is the most important element” in maintaining high levels of HDL.