UPDATE: Fish oil supplements do not slow the progress of Alzheimer’s

A new study has determined that taking Omega-3 fat docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) dietary supplements is ineffective at slowing down progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

Fish oil supplements, rich in the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA, are known to benefit brain function and some previous studies had suggested they could slow or prevent mental decline in Alzheimer’s. Treatment with omega-3 supplements had generated considerable enthusiasm because, unlike the other unsuccessful experimental therapies, it was a natural therapy and would not have required development of a new prescription drug.

For this new study, researchers divided 400 patients who had Alzheimer’s disease into two groups.
Group one was given 2 grams of the omega-3 fatty acid, docosahexaenoic acid or DHA daily.
The other group was given a placebo pill.

At the end of the study, the patients were measured for functional and cognitive abilities using the ADAS-cog (Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale) and the CDR (the Clinical Dementia Rating). Brain atrophy was measured using MRI scans. 102 patients had had an MRI scan at the beginning and the end of the study, 53 from the DHA group and 49 from the placebo group. DHA was found to have no effect on total brain volume during the trial period.

There was no difference in the rate of change on the Clinical Dementia Rating, which was an increase of 2.87 points for the DHA supplement group and 2.93 for those on placebo.

The report is published in the November 3 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, a theme issue on aging.