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In contrast to high LDL cholesterol level, low HDL cholesterol level is a risk factor for mortality from coronary artery disease and stroke in old age.

The purpose of this study was to assess whether structural brain damage as detected by volumetric magnetization transfer imaging (MTI) is present in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) and, if so, whether these abnormalities are global in character or restricted to the temporal lobe. Volumetric MTI analysis of the whole brain and temporal and frontal lobes was performed in 25 patients with probable AD, in 13 patients with MCI, and in 28 controls. Magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) histograms were produced, from which we derived measures for structural brain damage and atrophy. The peak heights of the MTR histograms of MCI and AD patients were lower than those of controls for the whole brain and temporal and frontal lobes, reflecting structural brain damage. AD patients had more atrophy than controls in all regions that were studied. MCI patients differed from controls for temporal lobe atrophy only. Volumetric MTI demonstrates structural changes that are related to cognitive decline in large parts of the brain of AD patients. Moreover, structural changes also were observed in MCI patients, indicating that widespread brain damage can be demonstrated before patients are clinically demented.

We aimed to investigate volumetry of the medial temporal lobe in patients with subjective memory complaints without any cognitive impairment. This study included 20 patients with subjective memory complaints and normal cognitive function and 28 controls without memory complaints. Volumes of the hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus (PHG) were measured using coronal T1-weighted MR images. Cognitive functions were assessed using the Cambridge Cognitive Examination. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale. Differences between groups were analysed using t-tests. Patients with subjective memory complaints had a higher education and more depressive symptoms than controls ( p < 0.01). Moreover, they had smaller left hippocampal volumes than controls ( p < 0.01). There were no differences between groups in the volume of the right hippocampus or PHG. There was a moderate association between the volume of left hippocampus and left PHG and memory-score (r = 0.32, p = 0.03; r = 0.34, p = 0.02). We concluded that memory complaints in patients without any cognitive impairment were associated with smaller left hippocampal volumes and more depressive symptoms. These preliminary results suggest that memory complaints may reflect minimal brain deficits associated with impending dementia, depression or a combination of both disorders.

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