Study shows omega-3 fatty acids may protect women against Alzheimer's

New Delhi, Aug 20 (IANS) Omega fatty acids could protect against Alzheimer’s disease in women, new research showed on Wednesday.

Scientists from the UK’s King’s College London and Queen Mary University London conducted an analysis of lipids -- fat molecules that perform many essential functions in the body -- in the blood. They found a noticeable loss of unsaturated fats, such as those that contain omega fatty acids, in the blood of women with Alzheimer’s disease compared to healthy women.

They found no significant difference in the same lipid molecule composition in men with Alzheimer’s disease compared to healthy men, which suggests that those lipids have a different role in the disease according to sex. Fats perform important roles in maintaining a healthy brain, so this study could indicate why more women are diagnosed with the disease.

The study, published in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association, is the first to reveal the important role lipids could have in the risk for Alzheimer’s between the sexes.

“Women are disproportionately impacted by Alzheimer’s Disease and are more often diagnosed with the disease than men after the age of 80. One of the most surprising things we saw when looking at the different sexes was that there was no difference in these lipids in healthy and cognitively impaired men, but for women this picture was completely different,” said Dr Cristina Legido-Quigley, from King’s College London.

“The study reveals that Alzheimer's lipid biology is different between the sexes, opening new avenues for research,” he added.

For the study, the team took plasma samples from 841 participants who had Alzheimer’s Disease, mild cognitive impairment, and cognitively healthy controls, and measured for brain inflammation and damage.

They used mass spectrometry to analyse the 700 individual lipids in the blood.

Saturated lipids are generally considered ‘unhealthy’ or ‘bad’, while unsaturated lipids, which sometimes contain omega fatty acids, are generally considered ‘healthy’.

Scientists saw a steep increase in lipids with saturation -- the ‘unhealthy lipids’ -- in women with Alzheimer’s compared to the healthy group. The lipids with attached omega fatty acids were the most decreased in the Alzheimer’s group.

The scientists said there is a statistical indication that there is a causal link between Alzheimer’s Disease and fatty acids. But a clinical trial is necessary to confirm the link.

“Our study suggests that women should make sure they are getting omega fatty acids in their diet -- through fatty fish or via supplements. However, we need clinical trials to determine if shifting the lipid composition can influence the biological trajectory of Alzheimer’s Disease,” Legido-Quigley said.

--IANS

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