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Cholesterol as a causative factor in Alzheimer's disease: a debatable hypothesis
Wood WG, Li L, Müller WE, Eckert GP.. Journal of neurochemistry, 2014-01-02
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
High serum/plasma cholesterol levels have been suggested as a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Some reports, mostly retrospective epidemiological studies, have observed a decreased prevalence of AD in patients taking the cholesterol lowering drugs, statins. The strongest evidence causally linking cholesterol to AD is provided by experimental studies showing that adding/reducing cholesterol alters amyloid precursor protein (APP) and amyloid beta-protein (Ab) levels.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Wood, W. G., Li, L., Müller, W. E., & Eckert, G. P. (2014). Cholesterol as a causative factor in Alzheimer's disease: a debatable hypothesis. Journal of neurochemistry. https://doi.org/10.1111/jnc.12637
Vancouver
Wood WG, Li L, Müller WE, Eckert GP. Cholesterol as a causative factor in Alzheimer's disease: a debatable hypothesis. Journal of neurochemistry. 2014. doi:10.1111/jnc.12637. PMID: 24329875.
BibTeX
@article{wood2014-24329875,
author = {Wood, W. G. and Li, L. and Müller, W. E. and Eckert, G. P.},
title = {{Cholesterol as a causative factor in Alzheimer's disease: a debatable hypothesis}},
journal = {Journal of neurochemistry},
year = {2014},
doi = {10.1111/jnc.12637},
pmid = {24329875},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1111/jnc.12637}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Some reports, mostly retrospective epidemiological studies, have observed a decreased prevalence of AD in patients taking the cholesterol lowering drugs, statins.
- The strongest evidence causally linking cholesterol to AD is provided by experimental studies showing that adding/reducing cholesterol alters amyloid precursor protein (APP) and amyloid beta-protein (Ab) levels.
- However, there are problems with the cholesterol-AD hypothesis.
- Cholesterol levels in serum/plasma and brain of AD patients do not support cholesterol as a causative factor in AD.Prospective studies on statins and AD have largely failed to show efficacy.
Why it matters
This review argues that the hypothesis that cholesterol causes Alzheimer's disease is debatable, noting that the strongest causal evidence comes from experimental studies while there are problems with the hypothesis, including cholesterol levels in serum and brain of patients. It does not conclude that lowering cholesterol prevents or treats Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 47/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of neurochemistry) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Journal of Neurochemistry: journal h-index 349 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2014 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 194 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 13.9 citations a year over 14 year(s) since 2014 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 10.2× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 3 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 23 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Gunter Peter Eckert: h-index 56 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Minnesota: institution h-index 1,568 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 24329875) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 47 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
- DOI: 10.1111/jnc.12637
- PubMed: 24329875
- Original source →
- Free full text: Journal of Neurochemistry →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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