Lee Swanson Research Update

Late-onset Alzheimer's Appears to Slow with Omega-3 DHA Intake

February 2008

Supplements of the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) can reduce levels of an enzyme linked to Alzheimer's, according to a study from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Using both mice and cultured human cells the UCLA researchers report that DHA could increase the production of LR11, a protein key to the clearance of enzymes in the brain that make the beta amyloid plaques that are thought to cause Alzheimer's disease.

"In this study, we report that DHA significantly increases LR11 in multiple systems, including primary rat neurons, aged non-Tg mice and an aged DHA-depleted APPsw AD mouse model. DHA also increased LR11 in a human neuronal line," wrote lead author Qiu-Lan Ma in The Journal of Neuroscience.

The research adds to a growing body of science linking intake of omega-3 fatty acids, mainly DHA, to improved cognitive function and slower cognitive decline. The new study suggests that DHA may be most useful for early intervention and prevention of late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD), the most common form of the disease that occurs later in life and has no obvious family inheritance pattern.

"Because LR11 is known to increase beta-amyloid production and may be a significant genetic cause of LOAD, our results indicate that DHA increases in [LR11] levels may play an important role in preventing LOAD," the study authors concluded.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia and currently affects over 13 million people worldwide.

The Journal of Neuroscience 27(52):14299-14307, 2007

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