Lowering certain types of cholesterol may do more than protect the heart—it could also help protect the brain. A large October 2025 study has suggested that drugs that reduce non–high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C), often called “bad” cholesterol, are linked to a substantially lower risk of developing dementia.
The researchers—an interdisciplinary team of European biochemists and epidemiologists—analyzed data from more than one million people across several major population studies, including the UK Biobank, FinnGen, and two long-running Danish cohorts. They found that two commonly used cholesterol drugs—statins and ezetimibe—could have notable benefits for cognitive health.
Instead of tracking medication use alone, the team used a powerful approach called Mendelian randomization, which examined naturally-occurring genetic variants that mimic the effects of cholesterol-lowering drugs. This allows scientists to estimate how lifelong exposure to lower cholesterol affects disease risk.
The team found that genetic variants that lower non-HDL cholesterol through pathways targeted by those common drugs were associated with a significantly reduced risk of all-cause dementia. For each 1 mmol/L (39 mg/dL) reduction in non-HDL cholesterol, dementia risk was roughly 76% lower for these pathways. The researchers also examined APOE ε4, the strongest known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, and found the results held up even when cases were grouped by genetic risk.
For other genes—PCSK9, ANGPTL4, and LPL—the study did not find clear proof that they lower dementia risk. However, researchers also couldn’t rule out the possibility that these genes may still have some effect, meaning more research is needed to fully understand their role.
Importantly, dementia diagnoses were carefully defined using International Classification of Disease (ICD) codes and included Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, and unspecified dementia. In Denmark, diagnoses were supported by cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers and brain imaging, adding confidence to the study’s accuracy.
While this study doesn’t mean cholesterol drugs should be taken solely to prevent dementia, it adds growing evidence that keeping non-HDL cholesterol low over the longterm may benefit both heart and brain health. “The present data suggests that cholesterol lowering earlier in life likely will reduce the risk of dementia later in life,” the study states.
As the American Heart Association emphasizes, remember that what’s good for the heart is good for the brain. Follow a heart-healthy diet, stay active, and work with a clinician to manage cholesterol early—because your cognitive health may depend on it, too.
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