Two trials that looked at whether the omega-3 fatty acid DHA might treat or prevent Alzheimer’s disease have produced mixed results.

The studies were done because of “a long history of epidemiological studies that related fish consumption to cognitive function,” explained Bill Thies, chief medical and scientific officer of the Alzheimer’s Association. Fish is rich in DHA, but the research scheduled to be presented Sunday at the association’s annual meeting in Vienna, Austria, used DHA derived from algae.

An 18-month study of people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease “did not show treatment benefit in the study population as a whole, and does not support use of DHA for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease,” said study author Dr. Joseph Quinn, an associate professor of neurology at Oregon Health and Science University. (more…)