Family Medicine Update

Potential role of dietary n-3 fatty acids in the prevention of dementia and macular degeneration.

Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Jun;83(6 Suppl):1494S-1498S

Authors: Johnson EJ, Schaefer EJ

Dementia and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are major causes of disability in the elderly. n-3 Fatty acids, particularly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are highly concentrated in brain and retinal tissue and may prevent or delay the progression of dementia and AMD. Low dietary intakes and plasma concentrations have been reported to be associated with dementia, cognitive decline, and AMD risk. The major dietary sources of DHA are fish and fish oils, although dietary supplements are available. At this point, it is not possible to make firm recommendations regarding n-3 fatty acids and the prevention of dementia and AMD. Our own unpublished observations from the Framingham Heart Study suggest that > or =180 mg/d of dietary DHA (approximately 2.7 fish servings/wk) is associated with an approximately 50% reduction in dementia risk. At least this amount of DHA is generally found in one commercially available 1-g fish oil capsule given daily.

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Potential role of dietary n-3 fatty acids in the prevention of dementia and macular degeneration.

Mild cognitive impairment.

Lancet. 2006 Apr 15;367(9518):1262-70

Authors: Gauthier S, Reisberg B, Zaudig M, Petersen RC, Ritchie K, Broich K, Belleville S, Brodaty H, Bennett D, Chertkow H, Cummings JL, de Leon M, Feldman H, Ganguli M, Hampel H, Scheltens P, Tierney MC, Whitehouse P, Winblad B,

Mild cognitive impairment is a syndrome defined as cognitive decline greater than expected for an individual’s age and education level but that does not interfere notably with activities of daily life. Prevalence in population-based epidemiological studies ranges from 3% to 19% in adults older than 65 years. Some people with mild cognitive impairment seem to remain stable or return to normal over time, but more than half progress to dementia within 5 years. Mild cognitive impairment can thus be regarded as a risk state for dementia, and its identification could lead to secondary prevention by controlling risk factors such as systolic hypertension. The amnestic subtype of mild cognitive impairment has a high risk of progression to Alzheimer’s disease, and it could constitute a prodromal stage of this disorder. Other definitions and subtypes of mild cognitive impairment need to be studied as potential prodromes of Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia.

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Mild cognitive impairment.

Effect of raloxifene on prevention of dementia and cognitive impairment in older women: the Multiple Outcomes of Raloxifene Evaluation (MORE) randomized trial.

Am J Psychiatry. 2005 Apr;162(4):683-90

Authors: Yaffe K, Krueger K, Cummings SR, Blackwell T, Henderson VW, Sarkar S, Ensrud K, Grady D

OBJECTIVE: This investigation examined whether raloxifene, a selective estrogen receptor modulator, affects the risk for Alzheimer’s disease. METHOD: The Multiple Outcomes of Raloxifene Evaluation was a randomized, placebo-controlled trial among postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. The effect of raloxifene (60 or 120 mg/day) on vertebral fractures was the primary outcome. Development of mild cognitive impairment and dementia was a secondary outcome. Women were given clinical and cognitive evaluations at baseline and annually. After 3 years, among the 5,386 women enrolled at participating sites, those who had clinical symptoms of dementia or scored in the lowest 10th percentile on cognitive screening were evaluated by a blinded dementia specialist and had brain scans and laboratory tests to evaluate dementia etiology. Dementia was diagnosed by a blinded adjudication committee. RESULTS: Of the 5,386 women, 5,153 (95.7%) were classified as cognitively normal, 181 (3.4%) had mild cognitive impairment, and 52 (1.0%) had dementia, 36 with Alzheimer’s disease. Compared to those taking placebo, women receiving 120 mg/day of raloxifene had a 33% lower risk of mild cognitive impairment (relative risk, 0.67; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.46-0.98) and somewhat lower risks of Alzheimer’s disease (relative risk=0.52, 95% CI=0.22-1.21) and any cognitive impairment (relative risk=0.73, 95% CI=0.53-1.01). Risks of mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease, and any impairment were not significantly different in the group taking 60 mg/day of raloxifene. CONCLUSIONS: Raloxifene at a dose of 120 mg/day, but not 60 mg/day, resulted in reduced risk of cognitive impairment in postmenopausal women.

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Here is the original:
Effect of raloxifene on prevention of dementia and cognitive impairment in older women: the Multiple Outcomes of Raloxifene Evaluation (MORE) randomized trial.