y Based on the severity of the dyslipidaemia and overall risk of cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease, lifestyle or pharmacological approaches can be undertaken to reduce blood cholesterol. The most common and effective lifestyle approaches include weight reduction and decreasing saturated fats in the diet (i.e. decreasing the consumption of food of animal origin). However, dyslipidaemia is often controlled and managed pharmacologically, with statins being the drugs of first choice. y Although the evidence on how statins influence dementia risk remains limited, statins remain beneficial for cardiovascular health and may be used in line with WHO’s guidance (50). y WHO is currently developing specific guidelines for the treatment and management of dyslipidaemia. y Dyslipidaemia management should be part of integrated midlife cardiovascular prevention strategies, especially in high-risk individuals, with routine cardiovascular risk assessment to support timely diagnosis of dyslipidaemia and early initiation of lipid-lowering therapy if required. y Although statins should not be initiated solely for dementia prevention in older adults, they may offer cognitive benefits when prescribed for cardiovascular reasons in midlife. It is essential to address patient hesitancy and misconceptions about side-effects through targeted health education on the safety of statins and their role in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health, and in reducing dementia risk. y Ensuring affordability and consistent availability of lipid-lowering medicines is crucial for equitable access. y Lifestyle interventions central to dyslipidaemia (e.g. diets low in saturated fats, regular physical activity and weight reduction) remain essential for cholesterol control. These interventions overlap substantially with recommendations for diabetes prevention and broader dementia risk reduction, although more research is needed to clarify their specific cognitive impact. y Health systems should prioritize early identification and treatment of dyslipidaemia in midlife, as part of a broader dementia risk reduction strategy. y In older people, the management of dyslipidaemia should be informed by a comprehensive assessment that includes intrinsic capacity, comorbidities, polypharmacy, life expectancy and individual priorities, rather than by lipid levels alone (148).

Management of dyslipidaemia should be offered to all adults with dyslipidaemia, in line with WHO guidance. Clinical practice: y Hearts: technical package for cardiovascular disease management in primary health care: risk-based CVD management (39) Service delivery and care pathways: y WHO package of essential noncommunicable (PEN) disease interventions for primary health care (11) Public health and policy: y Global action plan for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (35)