Tommy Cederholm1. 1. Departments of Geriatric Medicine, Uppsala University Hospital and Public Health and Caring Sciences, Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Twenty years of research indicates that fish and n-3 fatty acids (FAs), for example docosahexaenoic acid, may attenuate cognitive decline including Alzheimer's disease in older people. This review concerns reports during 2015-2016 in humans. RECENT FINDINGS: One prospective cohort study showed that seafood consumption was related to less neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in brain autopsies from elderly care residents. In a large 5-year intervention no effects on cognition could be shown either in n-3 FA supplemented or in control patients. Two meta-analyses in community-dwelling patients support preservation of cognition with higher fish intake. Older adults with memory complaints may improve cortical blood flow during memory challenges by n-3 FA supplementation. Recalculations from a report in Alzheimer's disease patients indicated a dose-response pattern between increments of serum n-3 FAs and cognitive improvement. Still, a Cochrane review (using three randomized control trials) concluded that n-3 FAs cannot provide any 6-month benefit in patients with mild/moderate Alzheimer's disease. SUMMARY: The accumulated knowledge indicates that healthy populations may have preventive benefits from fish and docosahexaenoic acid intake, like older adults with memory complaints/mild cognitive impairment, and maybe subgroups of patients with mild/moderate Alzheimer's disease may also show such benefits. Still, more studies are needed.
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Twenty years of research indicates that fish and n-3 fatty acids (FAs), for example docosahexaenoic acid, may attenuate cognitive decline including Alzheimer's disease in older people. This review concerns reports during 2015-2016 in humans. RECENT FINDINGS: One prospective cohort study showed that seafood consumption was related to less neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in brain autopsies from elderly care residents. In a large 5-year intervention no effects on cognition could be shown either in n-3 FA supplemented or in control patients. Two meta-analyses in community-dwelling patients support preservation of cognition with higher fish intake. Older adults with memory complaints may improve cortical blood flow during memory challenges by n-3 FA supplementation. Recalculations from a report in Alzheimer's diseasepatients indicated a dose-response pattern between increments of serum n-3 FAs and cognitive improvement. Still, a Cochrane review (using three randomized control trials) concluded that n-3 FAs cannot provide any 6-month benefit in patients with mild/moderate Alzheimer's disease. SUMMARY: The accumulated knowledge indicates that healthy populations may have preventive benefits from fish and docosahexaenoic acid intake, like older adults with memory complaints/mild cognitive impairment, and maybe subgroups of patients with mild/moderate Alzheimer's disease may also show such benefits. Still, more studies are needed.
Authors: Grace Y Sun; Agnes Simonyi; Kevin L Fritsche; Dennis Y Chuang; Mark Hannink; Zezong Gu; C Michael Greenlief; Jeffrey K Yao; James C Lee; David Q Beversdorf Journal: Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids Date: 2017-03-10 Impact factor: 3.015
Authors: L M P Wesselman; D Melo van Lent; A Schröder; O van de Rest; O Peters; F Menne; M Fuentes; J Priller; E J Spruth; S Altenstein; A Schneider; K Fließbach; S Roeske; S Wolfsgruber; L Kleineidam; A Spottke; V Pross; J Wiltfang; R Vukovich; A K Schild; E Düzel; C D Metzger; W Glanz; K Buerger; D Janowitz; R Perneczky; M Tatò; S Teipel; I Kilimann; C Laske; M Buchmann; A Ramirez; S A M Sikkes; F Jessen; W M van der Flier; M Wagner Journal: Eur J Nutr Date: 2020-05-29 Impact factor: 5.614
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