A supplement already taken by thousands, which costs less than 10p a pill, could help ward of Alzheimer’s disease in women, promising new research has suggested.
British researchers found that omega fatty acids—often found in fish such as salmon or mackerel or available as supplements—could reduce the risk of developing dementia.
In the first-of-its-kind study, they looked at the fat molecules in the body, known medically as lipids.
The scientists from King’s College London and Queen Mary University London, discovered that women with the memory-robbing condition had significantly less healthy unsaturated fats in their blood, compared to those who did not.
The same effect, however, was not seen among men.
Experts today said their findings could indicate why more women are diagnosed with the condition, but cautioned further research was first necessary to prove this was the case.
Dr Cristiana Legido-Quigley, an expert in brain disease at King’s College London and senior author of the study, said: ‘Women are disproportionately impacted by Alzheimer’s and are more often diagnosed with the disease than men after the age of 80.
‘One of the most surprising things we saw when looking at the different sexes was that there was no difference in these lipids in healthy and cognitively impaired men, but for women this picture was completely different.’
Omega fatty acids could protect against Alzheimer’s disease in women, new research suggests
In the study, researchers took blood plasma samples from 841 participants diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, mild cognitive impairments, and cognitively healthy controls.
The samples were then examined for markers of brain inflammation and damage.
After analysing 700 individual lipids, scientists found that women with Alzheimer’s had significantly more ‘unhealthy’ saturated lipids than women free from the disease.
They also noted that they had significantly less healthy lipids attached with omega fatty acids.
Dr Legido-Quigley added: ‘Our study suggests that women should make sure they are getting omega fatty acids in their diet—through fatty fish or via supplements.’
Meanwhile, Dr Asger Wretlind, dementia expert from and study co-author from King’s College London said: ‘Although this still warrants further research, we were able to detect biological differences in lipids between the sexes in a large cohort, and show the importance of lipids containing omegas in the blood, which has not been done before.
‘The results are very striking and now we are looking at how early in life this change occurs in women.’
Figures show currently two in three people living with dementia in the UK are women.
Around 900,000 Britons are currently thought to have the memory-robbing disorder. But University College London scientists estimate this will rise to 1.7 million within two decades as people live longer
Scientists analysed lipids in the blood and found there was a significant difference in omega fatty acids between healthy women and Alzheimer’s patients
Whilst experts say this could be a result of women living longer, or other risk factors such as social isolation, education or hormonal changes as a result of the menopause, the findings suggest that lifestyle changes could play a crucial role in the development of the disease.
Dr Julia Dudley, head of research at Alzheimer’s UK, said: ‘While this study shows that women with Alzheimer’s had lower levels of some unsaturated fats compared with men, further work is needed.
‘This includes understanding the mechanisms behind this difference and finding out if lifestyle changes, including diet could have a role.’
The charity, which is funding the work, is also calling for further research to focus on a more ethnically diverse population to see whether the same effect is seen across a wider sample size.
Dr Dudley added: ‘Understanding how the disease works differently in women could help doctors tailor future treatments and health advice.’
Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia in the UK.
Recent analysis by the Alzheimer’s society estimates the overall annual cost of dementia to the UK is £42billion a year, with families bearing the brunt.
An ageing population could see these costs soar to £90billion in the next 15 years.
Around 944,000 in the UK are thought to be living with dementia, while the figure is thought to be around 7million in the US.
Memory problems, thinking and reasoning difficulties and language problems are common early symptoms of the condition, which then worsen over time.
Alzheimer’s Research UK analysis found 74,261 people died from dementia in 2022 compared with 69,178 a year earlier, making it the country’s biggest killer.