The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 271 No 7259 p109
26 July 2003

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Archives of Neurology abstract (more)

More evidence that eating fish often can reduce risk of Alzheimer's disease

People who eat fish at least once a week have a 60 per cent lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease than those who eat fish less frequently, new data indicate. This finding adds to growing evidence that intake of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), found in fish, vegetable oils and nuts, has an impact on disease development.

Researchers from the Rush-Presbyterian-St Luke's medical centre in Chicago, Illinois, prospectively studied 815 adults aged 65 to 94 years for an average of 3.9 years. Participants completed a dietary questionnaire and Alzheimer's disease was subsequently diagnosed in 131 of these adults (an average of 2.3 years later).

The researchers observed that, over the four years of the study, intake of PUFAs and docosahexaenoic acid (omega-3) was associated with a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. In addition, people with the apolipoprotein E-4 allele were protected by increased intake of alpha-linolenic acid, found in vegetable oils and nuts. Total n-3 fatty acid intake was protective only in women.

The study is published in Archives of Neurology (2003;60:940).

Data from the study add to growing evidence that diet may influence Alzheimer's disease risk, says Dr Robert Friedland, Case Western Reserve University school of medicine, in an accompanying editorial (ibid, p923).

He points out that the beneficial effects of PUFAs from fish may be counterbalanced by toxins such as mercury. However, he suggests that people should consume fish frequently and lower their intake of saturated fat in meat and dairy products. Fruit and vegetables that contain antioxidants should be consumed and obesity should be avoided. Dr Friedland goes on to suggest that fish oil, other than cod liver oil, can be taken in capsule form.