Long Chain Omega-3 Fatty Acid Intervention in Ageing Adults at Risk of Dementia Following Repeated Head Trauma. Low-Level Support or an Opportunity for an Unanswered Question?

Author(s):  
C.S. Patch ◽  
E.L. Hill-Yardin ◽  
L. Ryan ◽  
E. Daly ◽  
A.J. Pearce

Emerging evidence of brain injury on risk of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) have resulted in interest in therapeutic potential of omega-3 fatty acids (n-3FA). We conducted a systematic review of n-3FA therapeutic efficacy for ageing adults at risk of AD/CTE following a history of repeated head trauma. Databases for articles between 1980-June 2020 were examined for studies reporting on n-3 FAs in adults (≥ 45 years) with a history of repeated brain injury. Following an initial screen of 175 articles, 12 studies were considered but were eventually rejected, as they did not meet inclusion criteria. Our review could find no evidence to support, or disprove, effectiveness of n-3FA intervention in older adults with a history of head trauma. With animal studies showing neuro-restorative potential of n-3FA following brain injury, this review highlights the urgent need for human research in this area.

2012 ◽  
Vol 82 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Earnest ◽  
S. Kupper ◽  
M. Thompson ◽  
Guo ◽  
S. Church

Homocysteine (HCY), C-reactive protein (hsCRP), and triglycerides (TG) are risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). While multivitamins (MVit) may reduce HCY and hsCRP, omega-3 fatty acids (N3) reduce TG; yet, they are seldom studied simultaneously. We randomly assigned 100 participants with baseline HCY (> 8.0 umol/L) to the daily ingestion of: (1) placebo, (2) MVit (VitC: 200 mg; VitE: 400 IU; VitB6: 25 mg; Folic Acid: 400 ug; VitB12: 400 ug) + placebo, (3) N3 (2 g N3, 760 mg EPA, 440 mg DHA)+placebo, or (4) MVit + N3 for 12 weeks. At follow-up, we observed significant reductions in HCY (umol/L) for the MVit (- 1.43, 95 %CI, - 2.39, - 0.47) and MVit + N3 groups (- 1.01, 95 %CI, - 1.98, - 0.04) groups, both being significant (p < 0.05) vs. placebo (- 0.57, 95 %CI, - 1.49, 0.35) and N3 (1.11, 95 % CI, 0.07, 2.17). hsCRP (nmol/L) was significantly reduced in the MVit (- 6.00, 95 %CI, - 1.04, - 0.15) and MVit + N3 (- 0.98, 95 %CI, - 1.51, - 0.46) groups, but not vs. placebo (- 0.15, 95 %CI, - 0.74, 0.43) or N3 (- 0.53, 95 %CI, - 1.18, 0.12). Lastly, we observed significant reductions in TG for the N3 (- 0.41, 95 %CI, - 0.69, - 0.13) and MVit + N3 (- 0.71, 95 %CI, - 0.93, - 0.46) groups, both significant vs. placebo (- 0.10, 95 %CI, - 0.36, 0.17) and MVit groups (0.15, 95 %CI, - 12, 0.42). The co-ingestion of MVit + N3 provides synergistic affects on HCY, hsCRP, and plasma TG.


2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052110163
Author(s):  
Jessica E. Meyer ◽  
Varna Jammula ◽  
Peter A. Arnett

Objective. The present study aimed to explore the prevalence of subconcussive head trauma, traumatic brain injury (TBI), potential hypoxic events, and hypoxic brain injury (HBI) in victims of physical intimate partner violence (IPV). The study also aimed to characterize the injury presentation and mechanisms of injury in this population. Method. A group of 47 female participants with a history of at least one relationship that included physical violence completed a structured interview assessing for subconcussive hits, TBI, and HBI. Participants ranged in age from 19 to 55, and had an average of 15.3 years of education. Forty-four participants completed the structured interview in person and three participants completed the interview over the phone. Results. The majority of participants reported sustaining at least one impact to the head and approximately half of the participants sustained at least one impact that resulted in a mild TBI. Approximately half of the participants experienced at least one incident of having difficulty breathing due to a violent act from their partner, and approximately one-third of participants reported symptoms consistent with mild HBI. The most common mechanisms of injury were being hit with a closed fist and being strangled. Conclusions. The high levels of head trauma observed in this study highlight the need for clinical and community providers to screen victims of physical IPV for head trauma. The unique characteristics of this population (female sex, high frequency of injuries, and presence of HBIs) indicate that research evaluating the cognitive effects of injuries in this population is needed.


2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 153-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juçara X. Zaparoli ◽  
Eduardo K. Sugawara ◽  
Altay A.L. de Souza ◽  
Sérgio Tufik ◽  
José Carlos F. Galduróz

Background: High oxidative stress, which is caused by smoking, can alter omega-3 fatty acid concentrations. Since omega-3 fatty acids play a role in dopaminergic neurotransmission related to dependence, it is important to understand their effects on nicotine dependence. Methods: This research comprised 2 studies. The first one consisted of a cross-sectional evaluation, in which the levels of the most important omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), were compared between smokers and non-smokers in a sample of 171 individuals; of them, 120 were smokers and 51 were non-smokers. The other study was a clinical, double-blind, randomized, placebo controlled, in which 63 smokers received daily treatment with capsules of fish oil (a source of omega-3/3 g/day) or mineral oil (used as placebo, also 3 g/day), taken 3 times a day for 90 days. Each fish oil capsules contained approximately 210.99 mg EPA and 129.84 mg of DHA. The outcome was evaluated by means of psychometric and biological measures as well as self-reports of tobacco use. The evaluations were carried out at the beginning of treatment and once a month thereafter (total of 4 times). Outcomes: The omega-3 fatty acid lipid profile showed that smokers present lower concentrations of DHA. After treatment, the omega-3 group showed a significant reduction in their levels of dependence. Interpretation: Smokers showed lower peripheral levels of omega-3, and treatment with the most important omega-3 fatty acids brought about a reduction in nicotine dependence.


2015 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 116-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alvo Orlando Vizzotto Junior ◽  
Antonio Carlos Ligocki Campos ◽  
Eneri Vieira de Souza Leite Mello ◽  
Tiago Jacometo Castilho

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of preoperative supplementation of omega-3 fatty acids on the healing of colonic anastomoses in malnourished rats receiving paclitaxel. METHODS: we studied 160 male Wistar rats, divided in two groups: one subjected to malnutrition by pair feeding (M) for four weeks, and another that received food ad libitum (W). In the fourth week, the groups were further divided into two subgroups that received omega-3 or olive oil by gavage. The animals were submitted to colonic transection and end-to-end anastomosis. After the operation, each of the four groups was divided into two subgroups that received intraperitoneal isovolumetric solutions of saline or paclitaxel. RESULTS: mortality was 26.8% higher in the group of animals that received paclitaxel (p = 0.003). The complete rupture strength was greater in well-nourished-oil Paclitaxel group (WOP) compared with the the malnourished-oil Paclitaxel one (MOP). The collagen maturation index was higher in well-nourished-oil saline group (WOS) in relation to the malnutrition-oil-saline group (MOS), lower in malnourished-oil-saline group (MOS) in relation to malnourished-ômega3-saline one (M3S) and lower in the well-nourished-omega3-saline group (W3S) compared with the malnourished-omega3-saline (M3S). The blood vessel count was higher in the malnourished-oil-saline group (MOS) than in the malnourished-oil-paclitaxel group (MOP) and lower in the malnourished-oil-saline group (MOS) in relation to the malnourished-omega3-paclitaxel group (M3P). CONCLUSION: supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids was associated with a significant increase in the production of mature collagen in malnourished animals, with a reversal of the harmful effects caused by malnutrition associated with the use of paclitaxel on the rupture strength, and with a stimulus to neoangiogenesis in the group receiving paclitaxel.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 279-285
Author(s):  
Havvanur Yoldaş İlktaç ◽  
Nihal Büyükuslu ◽  
Cüneyd Parlayan

Polyamines play an important role in the maintenance of intestinal permeability. Therefore we aimed to determine the effects of probiotics and omega 3 fatty acids on serum polyamine levels in colitis. Fifty BALB/c mice were randomly grouped as normal, colitis with no treatment applied, colitis treated by probiotics (VSL#3), colitis treated by omega-3, and colitis treated by both probiotics and omega-3. Experimental colitis was induced by injection of 200 mg/kg 2,4-Dinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (DNBS). The probiotic and the omega-3 fatty acid supplements were applied daily by oral gavage. Serum polyamine levels were measured with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In each group, the levels of serum polyamines are the highest in spermidine and the least in spermine. Bowel inflammation in experimentally induced colitis mice resulted in lower serum polyamine concentrations. In probiotic and omega 3 fatty acid supplemented group significant decreases were observed for spermine and spermidine (p<0.001), while no significant changes were obtained for putrescine. Combined supplementation of probiotics and omega-3 fatty acids for 10 days in colitis mice significantly decreased the serum levels of spermine and spermidine.


Author(s):  
Amy Larkin ◽  
Michael LaCouture ◽  
George Boutsalis ◽  
Harold Bays

Introduction: The less prominent role of triglycerides in determining cardiovascular risk keeps these lipids from being top-of-mind for practicing clinicians, yet epidemiologic data affirm that hypertriglyceridemia contributes to atherosclerotic disease development and progression. We sought to determine if online continuing medical education (CME) could improve the clinical knowledge and competence of primary care physicians (PCPs) and cardiologists regarding hypertriglyceridemia and the use of omega-3 fatty acids in its treatment. Methods: The effects of two educational interventions about advances in hypertriglyceridemia treatment (activity 1) and educating patients about omega-3 fatty acid products (activity 2) were analyzed to determine efficacy of online education presented in the form of online video-based roundtable discussions. The activities launched online in May and June, 2015 respectively, and data were collected through July, 2015. The effects of education were assessed using knowledge- and case-based matched pre-assessment/post-assessments. The effect sizes were calculated with Cohen’s d (> 0.8 is large, 0.8-0.4 is medium, and < 0.4 is small). Results: In total, 842 PCPs and 75 cardiologists who completed all pre/post assessment questions in any of the two activities during the study period were included in analyses. Significant overall improvements were seen for PCPs (activity 1: n = 452, P <.05, effect d= 0.68; activity 2: n = 390, P <.05, effect d= 0.96) and cardiologists (activity 1: n = 35, P <.05, effect d= 0.77; activity 2: n = 40, P <.05, effect d= 0.9). Compared with baseline, specific areas of improvements include: • 22% more PCPs and 31% more cardiologists identified weight loss as a nonpharmacological intervention that can effectively lower triglyceride levels for overweight/obese patients with hypertriglyceridemia, (both P < .05) • 35% more PCPs and 32% more cardiologists identified the appropriate dosing of prescription omega-3 fatty acids (both P <.05) • 23% more PCPs ( P < .05) and 20% more cardiologists ( P =.068 ) recognized that reducing the risk for pancreatitis is a primary medical objective in patients with severe elevations in triglyceride levels Areas identified as needing additional education include: • 57% of all physicians remain unaware that omega-3 fatty acids reduce apolipoprotein C3 • 61% of PCPs and 60% of cardiologists did not demonstrate a thorough understanding of the differences between prescription omega-3 fatty acids and omega-3 supplements Conclusion: This study demonstrates the success of a targeted educational intervention with two educational components on improving knowledge, competence, and clinical decision-making of PCPs and cardiologists regarding hypertriglyceridemia treatment and the role of omega-3 fatty acid products in its treatment.


2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 757-766 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Carracedo ◽  
Gonzalo Artiach ◽  
Hildur Arnardottir ◽  
Magnus Bäck

Abstract Omega-3 fatty acids serve as the substrate for the formation of a group of lipid mediators that mediate the resolution of inflammation. The cardiovascular inflammatory response in atherosclerosis and vascular injury is characterized by a failure in the resolution of inflammation, resulting in a chronic inflammatory response. The proresolving lipid mediator resolvin E1 (RvE1) is formed by enzymatic conversion of the omega-3 fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and signals resolution of inflammation through its receptor ChemR23. Importantly, the resolution of cardiovascular inflammation is an active, multifactorial process that involves modulation of the immune response, direct actions on the vascular wall, as well as close interactions between macrophages and vascular smooth muscle cells. Promoting anti-atherogenic signalling through the stimulation of endogenous resolution of inflammation pathways may provide a novel therapeutic strategy in cardiovascular prevention.


Author(s):  
Laurie Chevalier ◽  
Mélanie Plourde

Abstract Background A diet low in omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 FA) results in low plasma concentrations of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), the two main long chain n-3 FA. n-3 FA supplements on the market are esterified in triglycerides (TG) or ethyl ester (EE); the latter is absorbed less than other esterification forms. The objective of this study was to test and compare the pharmacokinetics of n-3 FA esterified in monoacylglycerides (MAG), a predigested form, with the EE form. Methods This study was a randomized, double-blind, crossover, controlled, clinical trial. Ten men and ten women between 18 and 60 years old were recruited. Participants received a single oral dose of 3 g of n-3 FA esterified in EE or MAG. Eleven blood samples were collected over 24 h post-dose. Plasma total lipids were extracted, methylated, and analyzed using gas chromatography. Results After receiving the MAG form, plasma EPA and DHA peaked at a concentration 3 and 2.5 times higher, respectively, than with the EE form. When provided in MAG form, n-3 FA plasma concentration during the absorption phase was on average 3–5 times higher than in EE form. When n-3 FAs were provided esterified in MAG, their concentration 24 h post-dose was higher than in EE. Males had a lower n-3 FA plasma concentration than females when n-3 FAs were provided in EE but there was no sexe difference when provided in MAG. Conclusions Plasma concentration of DHA and EPA was higher when provided in MAG than EE form.


2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 83
Author(s):  
Jessica Marie MacMartin ◽  
W. E. Buckley ◽  
David Cranage ◽  
Tim Bream ◽  
Peter Lawrence Bordi

Essential omega-3 fatty acids must be consumed through the diet to meet the body’s nutrition requirement. Daily-recommended intake of omega-3 fatty acids for adults is 270 milligrams/day. These fatty acids are commonly consumed through fish, but it is known that the United States population at large is not meeting their recommended daily intake. Supplements containing these important acids should be considered to close the gap between recommendations and actual intake. To create a product with these beneficial acids, sensory analysis was conducted to see if non-trained male and female athlete panelists could notice the difference in several key sensory characteristics (appearance, initial taste, color, sweetness, consistency, chocolate flavor, aftertaste, overall quality and overall liking) in a chocolate protein-based recovery beverage. The sensory-neutral oil was added into the beverage and athletes (n=95) were asked to taste the omega-3 and original beverage and rank each characteristic on hedonic and just-about-right scales. Color of the drink, aftertaste, overall quality and overall liking were rated significantly higher for the omega-3 added drink. Overall, the addition of the omega-3 fatty acids improved the beverage in several key attributes and can be added into the final formulation of the product. 


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