high cholesterol and cognitive function

Another in the series of atonement posts, I suppose. This article sounded interesting (via Boston University. Using 18 years of Framingham data, a team led by BU Department of Mathematics and Statistics Research Assistant Professor Penelope Elias found:

"a link between naturally occurring high cholesterol and modestly better mental function in areas such as visual organization, memory, attention, and concentration. Unlike previous studies, the current research isolated blood cholesterol from other well-known risk factors."

I think one thing to remember about this is that the study examined natural cholesterol levels and makes no statements about the effects of cholesterol-lowering drugs on cognitive performance, so keep poppin' the Lipitor for now!