title: Plasma Fatty Acid Profiles in Relation to Cognition and Gender in Alzheimer's Disease Patients During Oral Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation: The OmegAD Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  ω3 fatty acids (ω3 FAs) may slow the rate of decline in cognitive performance in mild forms of cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the relationship between changes of plasma ω3 FA levels and cognitive performance, as well as effects of gender, are poorly known.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study the effect of 6-month administration of DHA-rich ω3 FA supplementation on plasma FA profiles in patients with mild to moderate AD in relation to cognitive performance and gender. This investigation is part of the OmegAD Study.
  
  
  METHODS
  174 AD patients (74 ± 9 years) were randomized to a daily intake of 2.3 g ω3 FA or placebo for 6 months; subsequently all received the ω3 FA preparation for the next 6 months. Baseline as well as changes in plasma levels of the main ω3 FAs in 165 patients, while receiving ω3 FA supplementation for 6 months, were analyzed for association to cognitive performance (assessed by ADAS-cog and MMSE scores) as well as to gender.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Preservation of cognitive functioning, assessed by ADAS-cog or its sub-items (but not MMSE) scores, was significantly associated to increasing plasma ω3 FA levels over time. Thus, the higher ω3 FA plasma levels rose, the lower was the rate of cognitive deterioration. This effect was not related to gender; since although females displayed higher ω3 FA plasma levels than did males after 6 months of supplementation, this difference disappeared when adjusted for body weight.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Since our study suggests dose-response relationships between plasma levels of ω3 FA and preservation of cognition, future ω3 FA trials in patients with mild AD should consider exploring graded (and body weight adjusted) doses of ω3 FA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (NVS), Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Stockholm.|Department of Geriatric Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Stockholm.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eriksdotter
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Stockholm.
authors.forename: Inger
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vedin
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (NVS), Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Stockholm.
authors.forename: Farshad
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Falahati
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (NVS), Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Stockholm.
authors.forename: Yvonne
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Freund-Levi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (NVS), Division of Neurodegeneration, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Stockholm.
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hjorth
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (NVS), Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Stockholm.
authors.forename: Gerd
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Faxen-Irving
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (NVS), Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Stockholm.|Department of Geriatric Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Stockholm.
authors.forename: Lars-Olof
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Wahlund
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (NVS), Division of Neurodegeneration, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Stockholm.
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schultzberg
authors.affiliation: Division of Geriatrics, Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.|Department of Geriatric Medicine, Akademiska sjukhuset, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Basun
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism, Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.|Department of Geriatric Medicine, Akademiska sjukhuset, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Tommy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cederholm
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Stockholm.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Palmblad
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D003071:Cognition; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3
keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00211159; DHA; EPA; cognition; gender; ω3 fatty acids