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Editorial
October 2016

Do ω-3 Fatty Acids Regulate Cerebral β Amyloid?

Author Affiliations
  • 1Department of Neurology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland
  • 2Department of Neurology, Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Portland, Oregon
JAMA Neurol. 2016;73(10):1183-1184. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2016.2534

Numerous epidemiologic studies suggest that dietary consumption of fish or of ω-3 fatty acids (the putative “active ingredient” in fish) may reduce the risk of late-life dementia including Alzheimer disease (AD). However, clinical trials have failed to demonstrate disease-modifying effects in mild to moderate AD,1,2 diminishing enthusiasm for ω-3s for brain health during aging. A study in this issue of JAMA Neurology by Yassine et al3 revisits this topic with a clinical study aimed at testing the hypothesis that the ω-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) has clinically relevant “antiamyloid” effects in the aging brain.

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