Omega-3 could slow early-stage Alzheimer’s progression

However, the positive effect of Omega-3 does not appear in cases with more advanced Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s disease is a severely debilitating condition that affects thinking, learning and memory, beginning with declines in episodic memory. Several studies have shown that eating fish, which is high in omega-3 fatty acids, may protect against Alzheimer’s disease, leading researchers to question whether supplements could have similar effects.

Dr Yvonne Freund-Levi and colleagues at KI in Stockholm and Uppsala University in Sweden, compared the effects of supplements containing two omega-3 fatty acids with placebo in 204 patients with Alzheimer’s disease, by which 174 completed the entire study.

After six months, there was no difference in the rate of cognitive decline between the two groups. However, among a subgroup of 32 patients with very mild cognitive impairment at the beginning of the study, those who took the fatty acids experienced less decline in six months compared with those who took placebo. Among those who took placebo during the first six months, decline decreased during the second six months, when they also began taking the omega-3 supplements.

“These findings cannot serve as a basis for general recommendations for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease with dietary DHA-rich fish oil preparations”, said professor Jan Palmblad. “Studies in larger cohorts with mild cognitive impairment, including those at risk for Alzheimer’s disease, are needed to further explore the possibility that omega-3 fatty acids might be beneficial in halting initial progression of the disease.”