Women with Alzheimer’s especially lack polyunsaturated fatty acids in the brain

An increasing number of people are affected by Alzheimer’s disease, and women are significantly more at risk than men. According to a population-based study published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, women with Alzheimer’s disease also have fewer polyunsaturated fatty acids in their brains, which appears to influence the disease progression. Since the brain contains a substantial amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids, their metabolism is particularly important for brain health. Previous studies have also shown that widespread deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids (primarily obtained through fatty fish or fish oil supplements) negatively affects brain health, increasing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, depression, and other neurological disorders.

Alzheimer’s disease is a neurological condition in which nerve cells in the brain gradually deteriorate. The risk of developing Alzheimer’s increases with age, but the issue is complex and involves other factors than longevity alone. While women generally live longer than men, two-thirds of patients over age 80 are women, indicating that sex differences are driven by more than just age.
The brain contains significant lipids (fats) such as cholesterol, phospholipids, and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which are part of cell membranes and numerous metabolic functions. However, men and women appear to metabolize lipids differently. Women, for example, have a higher body fat percentage than men, partly because fat is needed for reproduction. Women also tend to have higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids compared with men.
The new study therefore aimed to examine whether different lipids affect the brain differently in women and men in relation to Alzheimer’s disease development. The study included 841 participants of both sexes, 306 of whom had Alzheimer’s disease and 165 had mild cognitive impairment, often a precursor to Alzheimer’s. Additionally, 370 healthy participants served as controls. Participants were recruited from a larger population study (AddNeuroMed) across six European countries (England, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, and Poland). Each participant provided a blood sample after fasting for two hours, and researchers then analyzed the levels of 268 different lipids using various techniques.

Key findings:

• Female patients with Alzheimer’s disease showed significant changes in their lipid profiles
• Changes in 37 lipids were significantly associated with Alzheimer’s development in women compared with healthy controls; these changes were not observed in men
• Overall, women with Alzheimer’s disease had fewer polyunsaturated lipids and more saturated lipids
• Women’s deficiency in unsaturated phospholipids influenced Alzheimer’s disease progression independently of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, or apolipoprotein B (a cardiovascular risk marker)
• The analysis provides a key insight into the sex-specific development of Alzheimer’s disease.

Fatty fish or fish oil supplements may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease

The study, published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, shows that women with Alzheimer’s lack specific polyunsaturated lipids, suggesting that dietary supplements could play a potential preventive role. Special attention should be given to ensuring adequate intake of polyunsaturated lipids in the form of omega-3 fatty acids from fatty fish or fish oil supplements.
Specifically, fatty fish and fish oil contain the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA, which are crucial for brain function, cardiovascular health, and inflammation regulation - all of which play a major role in Alzheimer’s disease development. Since healthy women appear to require higher levels of these omega-3 fatty acids compared with men, they should pay particular attention to getting sufficient amounts through diet or supplementation.
You can read more about the role of omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA in preventing Alzheimer’s disease in this article:

• Alzheimer’s disease: More omega-3 can cut your risk in half

References:

Asger Wretlind et al. Lipid profiling reveals unsaturated lipid reduction in women with Alzheimer´s disease. Alzheimer´s & Dementia 2025

Lynne H. Shinto et al. White Matter Lesions and Neuronal Integrity Breakdown in Older Adults. A Randomized Clinical trial. JAMA Network Open. 2023

Aleix Sala-Vila et al. Red Blood Cell DHA Is Inversely Associated with Risk of Incident Alzheimer’s Disease and All-Cause Dementia: Framingham Offspring Study.  Nutrients. 2022