High cholesterol may increase your risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Researchers at Kyushu University's Graduate School of Medical Sciences in Fukuoka, Japan, analyzed brain specimens from a series of 147 autopsies performed between 1998 and 2003.
    
Their findings indicate high cholesterol levels could create more plaque in the brain. Plaque buildup is thought to be a factor in the disease.

Lowering cholesterol early in life may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's. But researchers say they can't prove their conclusions. 

Close to 5.5 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's, a number expected to grow to 16 million by 2050.

The Kyushu study, titled "Association of Alzheimer Disease Pathology with Abnormal Lipid Metabolism," was published in the journal Neurology.