Lee Swanson Research Update

High DHA Levels Signal Lower Risk of Developing Dementia

April 2007

Higher blood levels of the omega-3 fatty acid DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) may help prevent dementia and Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published in the journal Archives of Neurology. DHA plays an important role in learning ability and memory, but its levels in the brain decline with age.

"Docosahexaenoic acid is an abundant fatty acid in the brain," researchers said. "The content of DHA has been shown to be decreased in the brain and plasma of patients with dementia." The objective of the study was "to determine whether plasma phosphatidylcholine DHA content is associated with the risk of developing dementia."

The study tracked 899 dementia-free men and women who averaged 76 years of age. They underwent neuropsychological tests, provided blood samples that were analyzed for DHA levels and completed a diet questionnaire. The subjects were followed for approximately nine years and screened for dementia every two years.

Of the 99 subjects who developed dementia, 71 were diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Those whose plasma DHA levels were in the highest quarter of all participants had a 47% lower risk of developing dementia and a 39% lower risk of Alzheimer’s than the rest of the subjects. Those with plasma DHA levels in the top quarter reported eating more fish—an average of three fish meals weekly, yielding 180 mg of DHA a day.

Archives of Neurology 63:1545-1550, 2006

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