HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Related articles in AJCN Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Google Scholar Articles by Samieri, C. Articles by Barberger-Gateau, P. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Samieri, C. Articles by Barberger-Gateau, P. Agricola Articles by Samieri, C. Articles by Barberger-Gateau, P.

Low plasma eicosapentaenoic acid and depressive symptomatology are independent predictors of dementia risk^1,2,3

¹ From Inserm, U897, Equipe Epidémiologie de la Nutrition et des Comportements Alimentaires, Bordeaux, France (CS, CF, LL, J-FD, KP, CD, and PB-G); the University of Bordeaux 2, Bordeaux, France (CS, CF, LL, J-FD, KP, CD, and PB-G); CMRR, Bordeaux, France (SA); INSERM, U876, Bordeaux, France (EP); and CHU de Bordeaux, Hôpital Saint-André, Service de Biochimie, Bordeaux, France (EP)

Background: The potential preventive role of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in Alzheimer disease has aroused increasing interest. Plasma n–3 PUFAs have been shown to be inversely related to the risk of dementia and to depression, which is frequently associated with dementia.

Objective: The objective was to ascertain whether plasma PUFAs predict the risk of incident dementia in a cohort of older persons, independently of their depressive status.

Design: Of 1214 nondemented participants in the Three-City Study from Bordeaux (France) who were followed up for 4 y, 65 developed dementia. The association between the proportion of plasma fatty acids at baseline and the risk of incident dementia was assessed by multivariate proportional hazard models, taking into account depressive status assessed on the basis of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale.

Results: A higher plasma eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) concentration was associated with a lower incidence of dementia [hazard ratio (HR) for 1 SD = 0.69; 95% CI: 0.48, 0.98], independently of depressive status and after adjustment for age, education, apolipoprotein E 4 allele, diabetes, and baseline plasma vitamin E and triacylglycerol. The relations between docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), total n–3 PUFAs, and incident dementia did not remain significant in multivariate models. Higher ratios of arachidonic acid (AA) to DHA and of n–6 to n–3 fatty acids were related to an increased risk of dementia, particularly in depressive subjects (n = 90): ratio of AA to DHA (HR: 2.65; 95% CI: 1.07, 6.56) and ratio of n–6 to n–3 (HR: 1.61; 95% CI: 1.04, 2.47).

Conclusions: A high plasma EPA concentration may decrease the risk of dementia, whereas high ratios of n–6 to n–3 fatty acids and of AA to DHA may increase the risk of dementia, especially in depressed older persons. The role of EPA in dementia warrants further research.

Related articles in AJCN:

n–3 Fatty acids and health: DaVinci's code

William S Harris
AJCN 2008 88: 595-596. [Full Text]  

This article has been cited by other articles:

				W. S Harris n-3 Fatty acids and health: DaVinci's code Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, September 1, 2008; 88(3): 595 - 596. [Full Text] [PDF]