Could fish oil facilitate blood flow in the brain, preventing or delaying the onset of Alzheimer's disease? A new study led by Cynthia Carlsson, MD, MS, associate professor, Geriatrics and Gerontology, aims to find out.

The Brain Amyloid and Vascular Effects of Eicosapentaenoic Acid (BRAVE-EPA) Study is investigating whether military veterans with a parental history of Alzheimer’s might be helped by a high-dose, prescription variety of a common supplement: fish oil. The study will involve 150 U.S. military veterans between the ages of 50 and 75 with a parental history of Alzheimer's disease.

“We know that veterans, especially VA-eligible veterans, have a higher risk of developing dementia, and it is not clear, but they think it might be partly related to having more vascular risk factors, they have more depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries,” said Dr. Carlsson.

Study volunteers will either take fish oil supplement or placebo over 18 months and will undergo MRI brain scans, spinal taps, and cognitive tests.

Dr. Carlsson, along with other Alzheimer's disease scientists and clinicians, is concerned about a spike in death rate from the disease. A report issued at the end of 2017 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows deaths in the U.S. jumped 54.5 percent over a 15 year period, from 1999 to 2014. Alzheimer’s disease deaths in Wisconsin climbed 25.5 percent during the same 15 years period. The CDC report predicts Alzheimer's disease cases in the U.S. to increase four-fold by 2050.

While the increase in death rate reflects improvements in treatments for conditions like heart disease that are allowing people to live longer and create a larger aging population, it also indicates improvements in diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Unfortunately, improvements in diagnosis have not yet been equaled by development of a cure.

“We’re doing a better job of trying to recognize the disease. So before a primary care provider maybe wouldn’t attribute a death to Alzheimer’s disease. Maybe they say it happened from pneumonia, whereas now they might say they died from pneumonia, but the underlying cause was the Alzheimer’s disease,” said Dr. Carlsson.

Resources:

• "VA study looks at effect of fish oil on Alzheimer’s disease risk in veteran population," Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (includes information on volunteering for the study)
• "UW, VA study looks at fish oil to prevent Alzheimer's disease," Wisconsin State Journal, December 9, 2017
• "UW-Madison and VA Study Seeks Participants to Study Veterans and Alzheimer's Disease," UW School of Medicine and Public Health, December 13, 2017
• "Study looks at fish oil as a possible way help to prevent or delay Alzheimer's disease," Stars and Stripes, December 9, 2017
• "Brave Study looks at veterans and Alzheimer's disease," WISC-TV, November 15, 2017
• "VA to Study Veterans and Alzheimer’s Disease," 1310 WIBA Radio, December 12, 2017
• "Alzheimer's disease deaths climb almost 55 percent," WISC-TV, November 13, 2017
• "New study examines effects of fish oil on Alzheimer's Disease in veterans," WKOW-27, January 26, 2018

Photo caption: Dr. Cynthia Carlsson (above and at right) is the principal investigator of the BRAVE-EPA study. Credit: Clint Thayer/Department of Medicine.