Women- but not men- with Alzheimer’s disease have reduced levels of healthy unsaturated fats. The findings were published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia and may explain sex-differences in the disease.
“One of the most surprising things we saw when looking at the different sexes was that there was no difference in these lipids in healthy and cognitively impaired men, but for women this picture was completely different. The study reveals that Alzheimer's lipid biology is different between the sexes, opening new avenues for research,” said senior author of the study, Dr Cristina Legido-Quigley, Reader in Systems Medicine at King’s College London, in a press release.
Women make up around two-thirds of all cases of Alzheimer’s. While some say that this may be because women have longer lifespans than men, research shows that other factors may be at play.
Men and women have known metabolic differences, especially in lipid metabolism. Previous research found that higher levels of small and medium low-density lipoprotein (LDL) are linked to cognitive decline in women but not men. Research also suggests that LDL levels are a modifiable risk factor for dementia.
In the current study, researchers investigated sex-specific single lipids linked to Alzheimer's. To do so, they analyzed blood samples from 841 participants, including 306 with Alzheimer’s, 165 with mild cognitive impairment, and 370 cognitively healthy controls.
Ultimately, the researchers found that women with Alzheimer’s had higher levels of saturated fatty acids- generally thought of as ‘unhealthy fats- and lower levels of some unsaturated fatty acids- generally considered to be healthy fats.
"Our study suggests that women should make sure they are getting omega fatty acids in their diet - through fatty fish or via supplements. However, we need clinical trials to determine if shifting the lipid composition can influence the biological trajectory of Alzheimer's Disease,” said Legido-Quigley.
Sources: Science Daily, Alzheimer’s & Dementia