Women and Alzheimer’s: Women are being urged to ensure they are getting enough omega fatty acids in their diets after researchers found unusually low levels of the compounds in female patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
The findings, published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia by a team at King’s College London, emerged from an analysis of blood samples from patients with Alzheimer’s, those with mild cognitive impairment, and healthy individuals. The study revealed that levels of unsaturated fats, including omega fatty acids, were up to 20% lower in women with Alzheimer’s compared with healthy women. The same trend was not seen in men with the disease.
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“The difference between the sexes was the most shocking and unexpected finding,” said Dr Cristina Legido-Quigley, senior author of the study. “There’s an indication that having less of these compounds could be causal in Alzheimer’s, but we need a clinical trial to confirm that.”
Alzheimer’s is about twice as common in women as in men. While factors such as women’s longer life expectancy, hormonal differences and immune responses are often cited, the new findings suggest nutrition and metabolism may also play a key role.
The study analysed lipid levels in 306 Alzheimer’s patients, 165 with mild cognitive impairment and 370 healthy controls. Women with the disease had higher levels of saturated fats and lower levels of unsaturated fats than healthy women, a pattern absent in men. Legido-Quigley said this may mean fewer omega fatty acids reach women’s brains, starving them of nutrients vital for brain function.
Diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as those found in oily fish, walnuts, chia seeds and flaxseed, are already linked to better heart and brain health. However, clinical trials giving supplements to older people with dementia have so far shown little benefit. Legido-Quigley believes a trial specifically focused on women with low omega levels could help reveal whether supplements delay the onset of Alzheimer’s, with drops in fatty acid levels possibly beginning in women as early as their 50s.
