Fish Oil May Reduce Risk of Alzheimer's Disease in High-Risk Population
Key Findings
- Research at Massachusetts General Hospital recently showed evidence that taking Omega-3 fish oil supplements may help seniors fight Alzheimer's disease
- The trial used a study design that combined blood and MRI biomarkers to monitor brain health
- Omega-3 supplementation was well tolerated but did not significantly impact white matter lesion progression in all participants
- Seniors carrying the APOE4 gene, which is linked to Alzheimer's disease risk, experienced a significant decrease in brain cell breakdown after taking fish oil supplements.
Alzheimer's disease can be devastating for patients and their families, but a new study is showing that fish oil may help seniors avoid and fight Alzheimer's disease. People with a genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease carry the APOE4 gene, which is also associated with an earlier onset and positive response to fish oil treatment.
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A study published in JAMA Network Open, led by Gene L. Bowman, ND, MPH, neurology instructor with the McCance Center for Brain Health in the Department of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital, in collaboration with Lynne H. Shinto, ND, MPH, professor of Neurology with the Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine, and colleagues. They evaluated 102 people aged 75 and up who had lower levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which is a key ingredient in fish oil. Fish oil supplements are thought to improve brain function for people with memory issues.
MRI scans were taken of the brains of participants at the beginning of the study, and again after three years to check for white matter lesions in the brain. White matter lesions in the brain can increase someone's chance of developing dementia.
Half of the participants took fish oil supplements daily, and the other half took a placebo. People who took fish oil and had the APOE4 gene had a significant decrease in their brain cell integrity breakdown even one year after the study began.
Dr. Bowman noted that neuronal breakdown was slowed in participants who took fish oil. He hopes that these findings will inspire further research to be done, with larger trials taking place.
However, fish oil did not benefit all seniors equally, and there can yet not be a definitive link for fish oil preventing Alzheimer's disease. This was the first Alzheimer's disease prevention trial using a unique design leveraging blood and MRI biomarkers to identify people with a high risk for Alzheimer's disease and to find people who would respond positively to nutritional treatment.