Omega-3 is inversely related to risk of early-onset dementia
Source: Hacker News
Abstract
Background & aims
Early‑onset dementia (EOD, diagnosis < 65). We examined the associations between omega‑3 blood levels (which objectively reflect dietary intake) and incident EOD by leveraging data from the UK Biobank cohort.
Methods
We included participants aged 40‑64, free of dementia at baseline and for whom plasma omega‑3 levels and relevant covariates were available. We modeled the relationships between the three omega‑3 exposures (total omega‑3, DHA, and non‑DHA omega‑3) and incident EOD with quintiles (Q) and continuous linear relationships. Cox proportional hazards models were constructed adjusting for sex, age at baseline, APOE‑ε4 allele load, and other lifestyle variables reported to relate to incident EOD. Interaction between each exposure and APOE‑ε4 allele load was also assessed.
Results
The study included 217,122 participants. During a mean follow‑up of 8.3 years, 325 incident EOD cases were ascertained. Compared with participants in Q1 of total omega‑3, those in Q4 and Q5 showed a statistically significant lower risk of EOD (Q4 hazard ratio = 0.62 [0.43, 0.89]; Q5 = 0.60 [0.42, 0.86]). A significant inverse association was also observed for total omega‑3 as a continuous variable. Compared with participants in Q1 of DHA, those in Q5 of non‑DHA showed a significantly lower risk of EOD. A statistically significant lower risk was observed in Q3, Q4 and Q5 of non‑DHA omega‑3. No evidence of interaction between omega‑3 and APOE‑ε4 allele load was found.
Conclusions
This study expands the evidence of a beneficial association of omega‑3 and LOD to EOD as well. The findings suggest that increased intake of omega‑3 fatty acids earlier in life may slow the development of EOD. Additional research is needed to confirm these findings, particularly in more diverse populations.
Keywords
- Alzheimer
- Biomarkers
- Cognition
- Fatty acids
- Lifestyle
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare the following personal relations and financial interests that may constitute possible competing interests: A.S.-V. has received research funding through his institution and support to attend professional meetings from the California Walnut Commission (Folsom, CA, US). W.S.H. holds stock in OmegaQuant Analytics, a laboratory that offers omega‑3 testing for researchers, clinicians, and the public. Other authors report no conflict of interest.