Good cholesterol could be the key to long term brain health and the prevention of dementia in women, new research has revealed.
The findings come as two thirds of people living with dementia are women and confirmation from the Australian Bureau of Statistics that it is now the leading cause of death for women.
Two new University of Melbourne studies show cholesterol levels alter the structure of grey and white matter in the brain, which determines the likelihood of decay to the brain.
The first study, published in the journal 'Brain Imaging and Behaviour', found the volume of grey matter in a woman's brain at 60 predicts her memory performance at 70.
The second study, published in the same journal, found women with normal levels of 'good' cholesterol had less white matter damage in their brain when tested again a decade later.
