Controlling one’s cholesterol level may be helping people to avoid more than just heart disease.

A new study from the Columbia University Medical Center found a history of diabetes and high cholesterol may factor in the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

"These findings indicate that controlling vascular conditions may be one way to delay the course of Alzheimer’s, which would be a major development in the treatment of this devastating disease as currently there are few treatments available to slow its progression," said Dr. Yaakov Stern, senior author of the study.

The researchers used data from 156 people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s who participated in a 10-year multi-ethnic study of cognitive aging and dementia.

"This makes our estimates of progression much more powerful, since we were able to know exactly when cognitive decline began," said Stern.
After examination, it was found participants with diabetes and higher cholesterol levels experienced faster cognitive decline when compared to people with a history of heart disease and stroke.

Some people have been able to treat high cholesterol levels through nutritional supplements and a diet of whole food nutrition.