GOED Reviews JAMAs DHA, Alzheimers Study

SALT LAKE CITYThe Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3s (GOED) published a Rapid Review, available online, analyzing the study published in the Nov. 3, 2010, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association that questioned the benefits of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplements in Alzheimers patients. There has been a great deal of media coverage of the JAMA study (2010;304:1903-11. DOI: 10.1001/jama.2010.1510), in which researchers found supplementing patients with mild to moderate Alzheimers disease with DHA did not slow the rate of cognitive or functional decline.

One major point of concern to GOEDs reviewers was the fact that the study assessed the impact of DHA on patients who already had diagnosed Alzheimers disease. "It's important to keep in mind that most experts emphasize omega-3's benefits likely lie in the prevention or delayed onset of many health conditions, including dementia and Alzheimer's," said Harry Rice, Ph.D., vice president of regulatory and scientific affairs for GOED. He noted prior randomized controlled studies have shown positive effects in individuals with age-related cognitive decline or very mild Alzheimers disease. Rice added, "This study leaves open the possibility that DHA supplementation prior to the onset of Alzheimer's disease could provide a neuroprotective benefit, such as delayed onset of symptoms and delayed progression of disease."

The GOED review also called out several limitations of the new JAMA study, notably that supplementation prior to symptom onset could have resulted in a different outcome; other issues included no reporting on results in APOE 4negative individuals, who have been seen in previous studies to be more likely to benefit from omega-3 supplementation; no consideration of dietary fat intake; and no provision to include eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), a complementary long-chain omega-3 found in studies to be associated with lower dementia risk.