Study shows Alzheimer's hits earlier in smokers, drinkers
A man smokes at a bar in Maryland. Smokers who drink heavily and have the genetic risk factor for Alzheimer?s get the disease nearly nine years earlier, a study finds. LARGE STUDY FINDS HIGH-CHOLESTEROL LINK Men and women in their early 40s with elevated blood cholesterol levels are more likely to develop Alzheimer's than those with low cholesterol, a report says. Other studies had suggested high blood cholesterol also could increase the risk of Alzheimer's. But the new report is one of the largest studies to link cholesterol to the degenerative brain disease.