APOE and Brain atrophy: Separate studies using LBC1936 data have indicated: that those adhering to a Mediterranean diet have less total brain atrophy between ages 73 and 76;35 and that vascular risk factors, including poorer glycaemic control (in APOE e4 carriers),36 lower HDL cholesterol37 and smoking,37,38 are possibly detrimental to brain health, i.e. they are associated with cortical thinning and white matter hyperintensity progression.