VIENNA, Austria—Two large studies using the omega-3 fatty acid DHA were presented at the Alzheimer's Association 2009 International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease (ICAD 2009) and revealed mixed results that emphasize the need for earlier detection and intervention.
One of the trials was conducted by the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study (ADCS) supported by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), and the second by Martek Biosciences Corporation (Martek), the primary company that makes algal DHA for supplementation. The NIA trial lasted 18 months and was conducted in people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's. Martek's trial was six months, and the compound was tested in healthy people to see its effect on "age related cognitive decline" (ARCD). Both studies used Martek's algal DHA.
The results of the ADCS trial show no evidence for benefit in the studied population; the Martek trial showed a positive result on one test of memory and learning, but that study was in healthy older adults, not people with Alzheimer's or another dementia.
