New Numbers, Same Mediterranean Answer
What the latest cholesterol guidelines mean for your heart — and your brain.
Most of us think about cholesterol as a heart issue. But your heart and brain are more connected than most people realize.
The brain uses almost a quarter of your body’s blood supply – so when the cardiovascular system is put at risk, the brain is usually not far behind.
Many of the same risk factors that drive heart disease, such as elevated LDL cholesterol, chronic inflammation, insulin resistance, and high blood pressure, are also linked to cognitive decline and raise the risk of dementia, including Alzheimer’s. The reason comes down to one thing they both rely on: healthy blood vessels.
I was reminded of this recently while working with a client who came to me wanting to improve her cholesterol numbers. At the same time, she was helping move her parent into Alzheimer's care — which made the heart-brain connection feel less like research and more like real life.
As we worked together, it became clear that the habits supporting her heart — eating better, moving more, lowering her LDL — were the same habits the research links to long-term brain health.
When her cholesterol numbers improved, she was happy. But what mattered more was the quiet confidence that came with it: she wasn't just protecting her heart. She was protecting her future mind, too.
