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Cholesterol and Triglycerides Moderate the Effect of Apolipoprotein E on Memory Functioning in Older Adults

¹ Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Sweden.
² Centre for Cognition and Neuroimaging, Brunel University, Uxbridge, England.
³ Department of Clinical Sciences and Psychiatry, Umeå University, Sweden.
⁴ Department of Molecular Genetics, Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology, University of Antwerp, Belgium.

Address correspondence to Cindy M. de Frias, e-mail: defrias{at}ualberta.ca

We used data from the Betula Study to examine associations between total cholesterol, triglycerides, and apolipoprotein E on 10-year changes in cognitive performance. Tests assessing episodic memory (recall and recognition), semantic memory (knowledge and fluency), and visuospatial ability (block design) were administered to 524 nondemented adults (initial age of 55–80 years); multilevel modeling was applied to the data. Higher triglyceride levels were associated with a decline in verbal knowledge. Lipid levels moderated the influence of apolipoprotein E on episodic memory, such that among 4 allele carriers, decline in recognition was noted for individuals with higher cholesterol levels. Cholesterol and triglyceride levels are pharmacologically modifiable risk factors that account for variation in normal cognitive aging.