TY - JOUR
T1 - Red blood cell omega-3 fatty acid levels and markers of accelerated brain aging
AU - Tan, Z. S.
AU - Harris, W. S.
AU - Beiser, A. S.
AU - Au, R.
AU - Himali, J. J.
AU - Debette, S.
AU - Pikula, A.
AU - DeCarli, C.
AU - Wolf, P. A.
AU - Vasan, R. S.
AU - Robins, S. J.
AU - Seshadri, S.
N1 - Funding Information:
Dr. Tan has received research support from the NIH/NIA. Dr. Harris serves on scientific advisory boards for Monsanto, Aker Biomarine, Acasti Pharma, Unilever, Neptune, Omthera, and GlaxoSmithKline; has received funding for travel from Monsanto; has served on the speaker's bureau for GlaxoSmithKline; is employed by Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Inc., which offers blood omega-3 testing; has received research support from Monsanto, Aker Biomarine, Acasti Pharma, Neptune, Omthera, GlaxoSmithKline, and the NIH/NHLBI; and is the owner of OmegaQuant, LLC, a company that offers blood fatty acid testing. Dr. Beiser receives publishing royalties for Introductory Applied Statistics (Brooks Cole, 2005) and receives research support from the NIH (NINDS, NIA, NHLBI). Dr. Au receives research support from the NIH (NIA, NINDS). J.J. Himali, Dr. Debette, and Dr. Pikula report no disclosures. Dr. DeCarli serves as Editor-in-Chief for Alzheimer Disease and Associated D isorders; serves as a consultant for Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, Inc. and Bayer Schering Pharma; and receives research support from the NIH (NIA, NHLBI). Dr. Wolf receives publishing royalties from the 5th edition of Stroke: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Management (Elsevier, 2008) and receives research support from the NIH (NHLBI, NINDS, NIA). Dr. Vasan reports no disclosures. Dr. Robins receives research support from the NIH/NHLBI. Dr. Seshadri serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and on the editorial boards of Stroke and Neurology ®; and receives research support from the NIH (NIA, NINDS, NHLBI).
PY - 2012/2/28
Y1 - 2012/2/28
N2 - Objective: Higher dietary intake and circulating levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosa-pentaenoic acid (EPA) have been related to a reduced risk for dementia, but the pathways underlying this association remain unclear. We examined the cross-sectional relation of red blood cell (RBC) fatty acid levels to subclinical imaging and cognitive markers of dementia risk in a middle-aged to elderly community-based cohort. Methods: We related RBC DHA and EPA levels in dementia-free Framingham Study participants (n = 1,575; 854 women, age 67 ± 9 years) to performance on cognitive tests and to volumetric brain MRI, with serial adjustments for age, sex, and education (model A, primary model), additionally for APOE ε4 and plasma homocysteine (model B), and also for physical activity and body mass index (model C), or for traditional vascular risk factors (model D). Results: Participants with RBC DHA levels in the lowest quartile (Q1) when compared to others (Q2-4) had lower total brain and greater white matter hyperintensity volumes (for model A: β ±SE=-0.49 ± 0.19; p = 0.009, and 0.12 ± 0.06; p = 0.049, respectively) with persistence of the association with total brain volume in multivariable analyses. Participants with lower DHA and ω-3 index (RBC DHA+EPA) levels (Q1 vs Q2-4) also had lower scores on tests of visual memory (β ± SE = -0.47 ± 0.18; p = 0.008), executive function (β ± SE = -0.07 ± 0.03; p = 0.004), and abstract thinking (β ± SE = -0.52 ± 0.18; p = 0.004) in model A, the results remaining significant in all models. Conclusion: Lower RBC DHA levels are associated with smaller brain volumes and a "vascular" pattern of cognitive impairment even in persons free of clinical dementia.
AB - Objective: Higher dietary intake and circulating levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosa-pentaenoic acid (EPA) have been related to a reduced risk for dementia, but the pathways underlying this association remain unclear. We examined the cross-sectional relation of red blood cell (RBC) fatty acid levels to subclinical imaging and cognitive markers of dementia risk in a middle-aged to elderly community-based cohort. Methods: We related RBC DHA and EPA levels in dementia-free Framingham Study participants (n = 1,575; 854 women, age 67 ± 9 years) to performance on cognitive tests and to volumetric brain MRI, with serial adjustments for age, sex, and education (model A, primary model), additionally for APOE ε4 and plasma homocysteine (model B), and also for physical activity and body mass index (model C), or for traditional vascular risk factors (model D). Results: Participants with RBC DHA levels in the lowest quartile (Q1) when compared to others (Q2-4) had lower total brain and greater white matter hyperintensity volumes (for model A: β ±SE=-0.49 ± 0.19; p = 0.009, and 0.12 ± 0.06; p = 0.049, respectively) with persistence of the association with total brain volume in multivariable analyses. Participants with lower DHA and ω-3 index (RBC DHA+EPA) levels (Q1 vs Q2-4) also had lower scores on tests of visual memory (β ± SE = -0.47 ± 0.18; p = 0.008), executive function (β ± SE = -0.07 ± 0.03; p = 0.004), and abstract thinking (β ± SE = -0.52 ± 0.18; p = 0.004) in model A, the results remaining significant in all models. Conclusion: Lower RBC DHA levels are associated with smaller brain volumes and a "vascular" pattern of cognitive impairment even in persons free of clinical dementia.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84858223184&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1212/WNL.0b013e318249f6a9
DO - 10.1212/WNL.0b013e318249f6a9
M3 - Article
C2 - 22371413
AN - SCOPUS:84858223184
SN - 0028-3878
VL - 78
SP - 658
EP - 664
JO - Neurology
JF - Neurology
IS - 9
ER -