Fatty Acid Status and Its Relationship to Cognitive Decline and Homocysteine Levels in the Elderly

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), especially the n-3 series, are known for their protective effects. Considering that cardiovascular diseases are risk factors for dementia, which is common at aging, the aim of this study was to evaluate whether fatty acid status in the elderly was associated with cognitive function and cardiovascular risk. Forty-five elderly persons (age ≥60 years) were included and divided into two groups based on their Mini-Mental Status Examination score adjusted for educational level: the case group (n = 12) and the control group (n = 33). Serum fatty acid composition, homocysteine (Hcy), hs-CRP, lipid profile and different cognitive domains were evaluated. The case group, characterized by reduced cognitive performance, showed higher levels of 14:0, 16:0, 16:1n-7 fatty acids and lower levels of 22:0, 24:1n-9, 22:6n-3 (DHA) and total PUFAs compared to the control group (p < 0.05). The n-6/n-3 ratio was elevated in both study groups, whereas alterations in Hcy, hs-CRP and lipid profile were observed in the case group. Cognitive function was positively associated with the 24:1n-9, DHA and total n-3 PUFAs, while 14:0, 16:0 and 16:1n-7 fatty acids, the n-6/n-3 ratio and Hcy were inversely associated. In addition, n-3 PUFAs, particularly DHA, were inversely associated with cardiovascular risk, assessed by Hcy levels in the elderly.

[1]  A. Blackwell,et al.  Beneficial effects of docosahexaenoic acid on cognition in age-related cognitive decline , 2010, Alzheimer's & Dementia.

[2]  C. Milte,et al.  Oiling the Brain: A Review of Randomized Controlled Trials of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Psychopathology across the Lifespan , 2010, Nutrients.

[3]  G. Hankey,et al.  Plasma homocysteine and MTHFRC677T polymorphism as risk factors for incident dementia , 2011, Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.

[4]  Linda G. Marc,et al.  Screening performance of the 15-item geriatric depression scale in a diverse elderly home care population. , 2008, The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry.

[5]  J. Lindsay,et al.  Omega-3 fatty acids and risk of cognitive impairment and dementia. , 2003, Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD.

[6]  S. Folstein,et al.  "Mini-mental state". A practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician. , 1975, Journal of psychiatric research.

[7]  Brooks Hanson,et al.  A Celebration and a Challenge , 2009, Science.

[8]  A. Kiss,et al.  The Relationship Between Inflammatory Markers and Post Stroke Cognitive Impairment , 2010, Journal of geriatric psychiatry and neurology.

[9]  C. Cervellati,et al.  Systemic oxidative stress in older patients with mild cognitive impairment or late onset Alzheimer's disease. , 2013, Current Alzheimer research.

[10]  J. Loeffler,et al.  Fatting the brain: a brief of recent research , 2013, Front. Cell. Neurosci..

[11]  A. El-Sohemy,et al.  Plasma Levels of 14:0, 16:0, 16:1n-7, and 20:3n-6 are Positively Associated, but 18:0 and 18:2n-6 are Inversely Associated with Markers of Inflammation in Young Healthy Adults , 2014, Lipids.

[12]  G. Lepage,et al.  Direct transesterification of all classes of lipids in a one-step reaction. , 1986, Journal of lipid research.

[13]  Unfpa and HelpAge.  Ageing in the Twenty-First Century: A Celebration and A Challenge , 2012 .

[14]  T. Mizoue,et al.  Polyunsaturated fatty acids in serum and homocysteine concentrations in Japanese men and women: a cross-sectional study , 2013, Nutrition & Metabolism.

[15]  R. Levy,et al.  Estimation of the concentration of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in plasma, without use of the preparative ultracentrifuge. , 1972, Clinical chemistry.

[16]  D. Benvegnú,et al.  Effects of ω-3 Essential Fatty Acids (ω-3 EFAs) on Motor Disorders and Memory Dysfunction Typical Neuroleptic-induced: Behavioral and Biochemical Parameter , 2010, Neurotoxicity Research.

[17]  C. Cotman,et al.  Effects of diet and behavioral enrichment on free fatty acids in the aged canine brain , 2012, Neuroscience.

[18]  J. Morris,et al.  The Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD). Part I. Clinical and neuropsychological assesment of Alzheimer's disease , 1989, Neurology.

[19]  M. Wahlqvist,et al.  High consumption of Ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids decrease plasma homocysteine: a meta-analysis of randomized, placebo-controlled trials. , 2011, Nutrition.

[20]  G. Schmitz,et al.  The opposing effects of n-3 and n-6 fatty acids. , 2008, Progress in lipid research.

[21]  V. Lee,et al.  Diets high in palmitic acid (16:0), lauric and myristic acids (12:0 + 14:0), or oleic acid (18:1) do not alter postprandial or fasting plasma homocysteine and inflammatory markers in healthy Malaysian adults. , 2011, The American journal of clinical nutrition.

[22]  Edward R. Ashwood,et al.  Tietz Fundamentals of Clinical Chemistry , 1996 .

[23]  J. Buckley,et al.  Erythrocyte polyunsaturated fatty acid status, memory, cognition and mood in older adults with mild cognitive impairment and healthy controls. , 2011, Prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and essential fatty acids.

[24]  Jiun-Rong Chen,et al.  Dietary patterns and blood fatty acid composition in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in Taiwan. , 2004, The Journal of nutritional biochemistry.

[25]  M. Fenech,et al.  Telomere shortening in elderly individuals with mild cognitive impairment may be attenuated with ω-3 fatty acid supplementation: a randomized controlled pilot study. , 2014, Nutrition.

[26]  L. F. Campesato,et al.  Homocysteine decreases extracellular nucleotide hydrolysis in rat platelets. , 2010, Thrombosis research.

[27]  J. Buckley,et al.  Effects of n-3 fatty acids, EPA v. DHA, on depressive symptoms, quality of life, memory and executive function in older adults with mild cognitive impairment: a 6-month randomised controlled trial , 2011, British Journal of Nutrition.

[28]  N. Bazan,et al.  Omega-3 fatty acids, pro-inflammatory signaling and neuroprotection , 2007, Current opinion in clinical nutrition and metabolic care.

[29]  R. Nucci,et al.  Antioxidant properties of low molecular weight phenols present in the mediterranean diet. , 2003, Journal of agricultural and food chemistry.

[30]  J. Neuhaus,et al.  Serum fatty acids and the risk of coronary heart disease. , 1995, American journal of epidemiology.

[31]  D. Benvegnú,et al.  Comparative study between n-6, trans and n-3 fatty acids on repeated amphetamine exposure: A possible factor for the development of mania , 2011, Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior.

[32]  Yongsoon Park,et al.  Erythrocyte α-linolenic acid is associated with the risk for mild dementia in Korean elderly. , 2010, Nutrition research.

[33]  K. Weylandt,et al.  Experimental Evidence of ω-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Modulation of Inflammatory Cytokines and Bioactive Lipid Mediators: Their Potential Role in Inflammatory, Neurodegenerative, and Neoplastic Diseases , 2013, BioMed research international.

[34]  M. Chaves,et al.  The Mini Mental State Examination: Review of cutoff points adjusted for schooling in a large Southern Brazilian sample , 2010, Dementia & neuropsychologia.

[35]  R. Mohs,et al.  Consortium to establish a registry for Alzheimer's disease (CERAD) clinical and neuropsychological assessment of Alzheimer's disease. , 2002, Psychopharmacology bulletin.

[36]  N. Tabet,et al.  Pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and TNF-α are not associated with plasma homocysteine concentration in Alzheimer's disease. , 2013, Current Alzheimer research.

[37]  G. Varela-Moreiras,et al.  Omega 3 fatty acids in the elderly , 2012, British Journal of Nutrition.

[38]  M. Vitolins,et al.  Monounsaturated, Trans, and Saturated Fatty Acids and Cognitive Decline in Women , 2011, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

[39]  D. Mozaffarian,et al.  Saturated Fat and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors, Coronary Heart Disease, Stroke, and Diabetes: a Fresh Look at the Evidence , 2010, Lipids.

[40]  J. Yesavage,et al.  Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS): Recent evidence and development of a shorter version. , 1986 .

[41]  G. Ortiz,et al.  Efficacy of Fish Oil on Serum of TNFα, IL-1β, and IL-6 Oxidative Stress Markers in Multiple Sclerosis Treated with Interferon Beta-1b , 2013, Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity.

[42]  Zhiming Wen,et al.  Docosahexaenoic acid: a positive modulator of Akt signaling in neuronal survival. , 2005, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

[43]  N. Bazan.  The Onset of Brain Injury and Neurodegeneration Triggers the Synthesis of Docosanoid Neuroprotective Signaling , 2006, Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology.

[44]  Duo Li,et al.  Effect of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Homocysteine Metabolism through Regulating the Gene Expressions Involved in Methionine Metabolism , 2013, TheScientificWorldJournal.

[45]  A. Simopoulos,et al.  Essential fatty acids in health and chronic disease. , 1999, The American journal of clinical nutrition.

[46]  H. Ohnishi,et al.  Visceral fat thickness in overweight men correlates with alterations in serum fatty acid composition. , 2008, Clinica chimica acta; international journal of clinical chemistry.

[47]  Ramon Diaz-Arrastia,et al.  High-dose B vitamin supplementation and cognitive decline in Alzheimer disease: a randomized controlled trial. , 2008, JAMA.

[48]  M. Laasonen,et al.  Project DyAdd: Fatty acids in adult dyslexia, ADHD, and their comorbid combination. , 2009, Prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and essential fatty acids.

[49]  P. Marques‐Vidal,et al.  Dietary intake adequacy and cognitive function in free-living active elderly: a cross-sectional and short-term prospective study. , 2008, Clinical nutrition.

[50]  A. Bakillah,et al.  Nutrition & Metabolism: an impressive performance since inception , 2013, Nutrition & Metabolism.

[51]  L. Schwingshackl,et al.  Monounsaturated Fatty Acids and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: Synopsis of the Evidence Available from Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses , 2012, Nutrients.

[52]  A. Devlin,et al.  ApoA-I: a missing link between homocysteine and lipid metabolism? , 2006, Circulation research.