An unhealthy western diet could harm more than just your waistline — it may also increase your risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute researchers have found that “ABC proteins,” which help control cholesterol levels in arterial walls by expelling cholesterol from the immune cells called macrophages where it builds up, were also present in neurons.

Drugs that increase expression of ABC transporters might slow the progression of Alzheimer’s. Such drugs are already being used in cardiovascular research.