FATTY ACIDS AND ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE: EVIDENCE ON COGNITION AND CORTICAL ?-AMYLOID FROM SECONDARY ANALYSES OF THE MULTIDOMAIN ALZHEIMER PREVENTIVE TRIAL

Abstract

Fatty acids are long-chain hydrocarbons that can be separated into four groups: saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and trans fats (1). The brain is highly enriched in fatty acids particularly polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) with docosahexaenoic acid (an omega 3: n-3 PUFA) and arachidonic acid (an omega 6: n-6 PUFA) being the most abundant (2,3). Fats control the structure and function of cell membranes and therefore impact upon signal transduction and neurotransmission and PUFAs play a role in inflammatory processes (4). Saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids can be synthesized de novo within the brain, but PUFAs are mainly supplied by the blood (5).