Relationship of lipids and lipid-lowering medications with cognitive function: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Abstract

Studies on the relationship of cholesterol concentrations and lipid-lowering medications with dementia risk have yielded inconsistent findings. Therefore, we investigated the relationship of lipid concentrations and lipid-lowering medications with cognitive function in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis across three different cognitive domains assessed by the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument (version 2), Digit Symbol Coding and Digit Span (DS) tests in 2010–2012. After adjusting for sociodemographic and confounding factors including other lipid concentrations and lipid-lowering medication, higher total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations were modestly associated with higher DS test scores. None of the lipid parameters were associated with Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument and Digit Symbol Coding test scores. Similarly, changes in lipid concentrations were not associated with any cognitive function test score. Using treatment effects model analysis, and after adjusting for confounding factors including lipid concentrations, the use of any lipid-lowering medication, especially statins, was associated with higher score on the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument and backward DS tests, but not Digit Symbol Coding and forward DS test scores. Our study does not support a robust association between lipid concentrations and cognitive function or the use of lipid-lowering medication, especially statins, with worse cognitive function.