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American Journal of Epidemiology Advance Access published online on August 11, 2006
American Journal of Epidemiology, doi:10.1093/aje/kwj283
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American Journal of Epidemiology Copyright © 2006 by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health All rights reserved; printed in U.S.A.
Received February 13, 2006
Accepted April 13, 2006

ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTIONS

Serum Cholesterol Levels and the Risk of Parkinson's Disease

Lonneke M. L. de Lau 1, Peter J. Koudstaal 2, Albert Hofman 3, and Monique M. B. Breteler 3 *

1 Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Neurology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
2 Department of Neurology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
3 Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Monique M. B. Breteler, E-mail: m.breteler{at}erasmusmc.nl


  Abstract

Several recent findings suggest a role of lipid and cholesterol metabolism in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease. Therefore, the authors examined the association between serum levels of cholesterol and the risk of Parkinson's disease in the prospective, population-based Rotterdam Study among 6,465 subjects aged 55 or more years with repeated in-person examination and on average 9.4 years of follow-up (1990-2004). Higher serum levels of total cholesterol were associated with a significantly decreased risk of Parkinson's disease (age- and sex-adjusted hazard ratio per mmol/liter increase in cholesterol = 0.77, 95% confidence interval: 0.64, 0.94), with evidence for a dose-effect relation. The association was restricted to women and remained unchanged after adjustment for multiple potential confounders. These findings may indicate a role of lipids in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease. Alternatively, they could reflect the strong correlation--especially in women--between levels of serum cholesterol and the antioxidant coenzyme Q10. If confirmed, this would provide further support for an important role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease.

Keywords: cholesterol; cohort studies; lipid metabolism; neurodegenerative diseases; Parkinson disease; prospective studies; risk factors; serum.
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