Serum Docosahexaenoic Acid and Cognitive Impairment of Japanese Residents in a Remote Island
Year: 2015
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Backgrounds: Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which is mainly derived from marine fish, is suspected to reduce the risk of dementia and cognitive decline. The associations of fish consumption and DHA with the scores of Kana Pick-out test (KPT), a cognitive function test to detect pre-dementia, were examined in a remote island of Kagoshima, Japan. Subjects and Methods: As a part of an annual health checkup of residents, a questionnaire survey, hair sample collection, and the KPT were conducted in a remote island of Kagoshima during September and October, 2007. Out of 1,188 residents taking a health checkup, 505 (224 men and 281 women, age 30-69), who received all examinations, were analyzed. Among of them, serum samples from 424 subjects were available for a free fatty acid assay. Hair mercury level was analyzed by cold vapour atomic absorption method, and serum free fatty acid level was measured by gas chromatography. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to calculate the age-, sex-, and education-level-adjusted KPT scores among different levels of mercury and the ratios DHA to arachidonic acid (AA). Results: The average of KPT score in women (38.1) was higher than that of men (35.0, p<0.001). The scores decreased with age (p<0.001) and lower education levels (p<0.001) in both men and women. After adjusting for the effects of age, sex, and education level, KPT score was positively related to the DHA/AA (p for trend = 0.034) in the subjects under the age of 60 but this tendency was not observed in those aged 60 or older. Conclusion: The present study suggested a potential benefit of DHA on cognitive function in the subjects under the age of 60 but further studies for the elderly people are required.
Language: English
Subfield: Nutrition and Dietetics
Field: Nursing
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3005031730