High blood cholesterol levels are linked to the risk of developing vascular dementia, which in turn leads to the development of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, scientists from the US, UK and the Netherlands noted.

This problem, according to scientists, is characteristic mainly of men. The first stage of the study showed that the main role in the development of dementia is played by disorders of the so-called catabolism of cholesterol - its conversion into bile acids. Similar disorders are common in patients with Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia.

The researchers then decided to test in more than 26,000 patients in UK GPs to see if there was a link between exposure to cholesterol drugs, which block the absorption of bile acids into the bloodstream, and the primary symptoms of dementia.

The study found that with high doses of drugs that block bile acids, the risk of developing vascular dementia increases only in men. According to experts, cholesterol catabolism and bile acid synthesis influence the progression of dementia through sex-specific signaling pathways in the brain.