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Omega 3 fatty acids and cognitive health in older people.
Br J Nutr. 2012 Jun; 107 Suppl 2:S152-8.BJ

Abstract

Oily fish and other sources of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LCPs) have been proposed as protective against dementia and age related cognitive impairment. The basic mechanisms underlying these proposed benefits have been postulated and experimental studies supporting the plausibility of the putative effects have been published. Observational epidemiological and case control studies also largely support a protective role of fish consumption on cognitive function with advancing age, albeit with important unexplained heterogeneity in findings. In this review we report the findings of the latest Cochrane review on the benefits of n-3 LCP supplementation on cognitive function among cognitively healthy older people and expand the review by including trials conducted with individuals with prevalent poor cognitive function or dementia. We identified seven relevant trials, four among cognitively healthy older people, and three among individuals with pre-existing cognitive decline or dementia, and overall conclude that there is no evidence to support the routine use of n-3 LCPs supplements for the prevention, or amelioration, of cognitive decline in later life. We identified several challenges in the design of intervention studies for the prevention of dementia and cognitive decline in older people that require careful consideration especially in recruitment and retention in long-term trials. Whether the lack of agreement in findings from mechanistic and observational data and from intervention studies reflects a real absence of benefit on cognitive function from n-3 LCP supplementation, or whether it reflects intrinsic limitations in the design of published studies remains open to question.

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Authors+Show Affiliations

Dangour AD
Department of Nutrition and Public Health Intervention Research, Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK. alan.dangour@lshtm.ac.uk
Andreeva VA
No affiliation info available
Sydenham E
No affiliation info available
Uauy R
No affiliation info available

MeSH

AgedAnimalsCognitionCognition DisordersDementiaDietDietary SupplementsFatty Acids, Omega-3FishesHumans

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article
Review

Language

eng

PubMed ID

22591889

Citation

Dangour, Alan D., et al. "Omega 3 Fatty Acids and Cognitive Health in Older People." The British Journal of Nutrition, vol. 107 Suppl 2, 2012, pp. S152-8.
Dangour AD, Andreeva VA, Sydenham E, et al. Omega 3 fatty acids and cognitive health in older people. Br J Nutr. 2012;107 Suppl 2:S152-8.
Dangour, A. D., Andreeva, V. A., Sydenham, E., & Uauy, R. (2012). Omega 3 fatty acids and cognitive health in older people. The British Journal of Nutrition, 107 Suppl 2, S152-8. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114512001547
Dangour AD, et al. Omega 3 Fatty Acids and Cognitive Health in Older People. Br J Nutr. 2012;107 Suppl 2:S152-8. PubMed PMID: 22591889.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - JOUR T1 - Omega 3 fatty acids and cognitive health in older people. AU - Dangour,Alan D, AU - Andreeva,Valentina A, AU - Sydenham,Emma, AU - Uauy,Ricardo, PY - 2012/5/18/entrez PY - 2012/5/25/pubmed PY - 2012/7/20/medline SP - S152 EP - 8 JF - The British journal of nutrition JO - Br J Nutr VL - 107 Suppl 2 N2 - Oily fish and other sources of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LCPs) have been proposed as protective against dementia and age related cognitive impairment. The basic mechanisms underlying these proposed benefits have been postulated and experimental studies supporting the plausibility of the putative effects have been published. Observational epidemiological and case control studies also largely support a protective role of fish consumption on cognitive function with advancing age, albeit with important unexplained heterogeneity in findings. In this review we report the findings of the latest Cochrane review on the benefits of n-3 LCP supplementation on cognitive function among cognitively healthy older people and expand the review by including trials conducted with individuals with prevalent poor cognitive function or dementia. We identified seven relevant trials, four among cognitively healthy older people, and three among individuals with pre-existing cognitive decline or dementia, and overall conclude that there is no evidence to support the routine use of n-3 LCPs supplements for the prevention, or amelioration, of cognitive decline in later life. We identified several challenges in the design of intervention studies for the prevention of dementia and cognitive decline in older people that require careful consideration especially in recruitment and retention in long-term trials. Whether the lack of agreement in findings from mechanistic and observational data and from intervention studies reflects a real absence of benefit on cognitive function from n-3 LCP supplementation, or whether it reflects intrinsic limitations in the design of published studies remains open to question. SN - 1475-2662 UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/22591889/Omega_3_fatty_acids_and_cognitive_health_in_older_people_ L2 - https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0007114512001547/type/journal_article DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -