Efeito da suplementação de ômega-3 na progressão da doença de Alzheimer: uma revisão de ensaios clínicos randomizados

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the effect of omega-3 supplementation on the progression of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Method: A literature review was carried out by searching scientific articles available in the PubMed and Science Direct databases with the indexed and combined terms “Alzheimer's Disease”, “Fatty docosahexaenoic acid” and ''eicosapentaenoic acid''. Original articles, randomized, placebo-controlled studies, published between 2010 and 2017, with adults and elderly of both sexes with AD were included. Results: Six randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials with subjects aged 55 to 74 years or older and diagnosed with mild and moderate AD were analyzed. The sample number ranged between 17 and 454 participants and the intervention time between four and 18 months. Most studies found that supplementation with omega-3 promotes improved cognitive and functional decline, decreased inflammatory biomarkers, and regulation of genes associated with inflammatory processes that can be considered for AD. The improvement in the human condition usually occurred after six months of supplementation, with dosages ranging between 430mg and 1,700mg of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and 150mg and 600mg of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Conclusion: Despite the positive effect of omega-3 supplementation on the progression of AD, more studies are available, with a larger sample and with resources for different stages of the disease in order to safely establish the dose/time relationship in relation to this to supplementation with omega-3.