Women With Alzheimer’s Have Unusually Low Omega Fatty Acid Levels, Study Finds

Women should guarantee they are getting capable omega fatty acids successful their diets according to researchers, who recovered unusually debased levels of nan compounds successful female patients pinch Alzheimer’s disease.

The proposal follows an study of humor samples from Alzheimer’s patients and patient individuals, which revealed levels of unsaturated fats, specified arsenic those containing omega fatty acids, were up to 20% little successful women pinch nan disease.

The debased levels were not seen successful men pinch Alzheimer’s, suggesting location whitethorn beryllium activity differences successful really nan illness takes clasp and affects a person’s physiology.

“The quality betwixt nan sexes was nan astir shocking and unexpected finding,” said Dr Cristina Legido-Quigley, a elder writer connected nan study astatine King’s College London published successful nan Alzheimer’s & Dementia journal. “There’s an denotation that having little of these compounds could beryllium causal successful Alzheimer’s, but we request a objective proceedings to corroborate that.”

Alzheimer’s illness is doubly arsenic communal successful women arsenic successful men. Factors including women’s longer mean lifespan, differences successful hormones, immune responses and acquisition opportunities tin each play a domiciled successful nan improvement of nan disease.

In nan latest study, researchers analysed nan levels of lipids, which are fatty compounds, successful nan humor of 306 group pinch Alzheimer’s, 165 group pinch mild cognitive impairment and 370 group who were cognitively patient controls. Lipids tin beryllium saturated aliases unsaturated, pinch nan erstwhile considered unhealthy and nan second broadly healthy.

Women pinch Alzheimer’s illness had higher levels of saturated lipids and little levels of unsaturated lipids than cognitively patient women, a shape not seen successful men. Legido-Quigley said that if changes successful nan liver aliases metabolism were responsible, little omega fatty acids would astir apt beryllium reaching women’s brains. “And these lipids provender nan brain,” she added.

Diets rich | successful omega-3 fatty acids, specified arsenic nan Mediterranean diet, person agelong been linked to wellness benefits for nan heart, encephalon and different organs. One study from 2022 recovered that middle-aged group pinch higher humor levels of omega-3 fatty acids had amended cognitive usability than others.

Several tests have found that giving older group omega-3 supplements did not amended their cognitive function aliases boost intelligence capacity successful those already diagnosed pinch dementia.

Legido-Quigley wants to spot a objective proceedings established to trial whether supplements tin hold Alzheimer’s illness specifically successful women pinch debased levels of unsaturated fatty acids, adding that nan driblet whitethorn commencement to look erstwhile women are successful their 50s. In nan meantime, she said women should guarantee they are getting omega fatty acids successful their diets.

There are 3 basal omega-3 fatty acids, known arsenic ALA, DHA and EPA. ALA is recovered successful plant-based foods specified arsenic chia seeds, flaxseed and walnuts. DHA and EPA chiefly travel from fish. The NHS recommends eating 2 140g servings of food a week, pinch 1 being an oily fish, to get capable DHA and EPA.

Dr Julia Dudley astatine Alzheimer’s Research UK, which co-funded nan study, said much activity was needed to unpick nan mechanisms down nan activity quality and observe whether manner changes, including diet, could person a domiciled successful preventing nan disease. “Understanding really nan illness useful otherwise successful women could thief doctors tailor early treatments and wellness advice,” she added.