Analysis Version
v1
History
Back to Study: Homocysteine Status Modifies the Treatment Effect ...
correlational
Analysis v1
Strong Support

For people with early-stage Alzheimer’s, taking a specific fish oil supplement for 6 months might help them think a little better and function more normally—but only if their blood has low levels of a chemical called homocysteine before they start.

55
Pro
0
Against

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

55

Community contributions welcome

55

Homocysteine Status Modifies the Treatment Effect of Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Cognition in a Randomized Clinical Trial in Mild to Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease: The OmegAD Study

Randomized Controlled Trial
Human
2019

This study found that omega-3 supplements only helped Alzheimer’s patients with low levels of a certain blood marker (homocysteine); if that marker was high, the supplements didn’t help. The results match exactly what the claim says.

Contradicting (0)

0

Community contributions welcome

No contradicting evidence found

Gold Standard Evidence Needed

According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.

Source Study

Homocysteine Status Modifies the Treatment Effect of Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Cognition in a Randomized Clinical Trial in Mild to Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease: The OmegAD Study

Score: 55
DOI: 10.3233/jad-181148

Similar Assertions

If you have Alzheimer’s and your blood has high levels of a substance called homocysteine, taking omega-3 fish oil supplements might help your memory and thinking skills a bit—but only if you look at certain tests, not all of them.

55
0
91%

Taking omega-3 supplements every day for six months doesn’t seem to help people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s think better, no matter what their blood homocysteine levels were to begin with.

55
0
88%

Elderly people with memory problems who eat more fish oil-like fats (DHA and EPA) tend to have less damage from harmful molecules in their blood, which might help protect their brains.

38
0
74%

When older adults with memory problems eat more omega-3 fats from fish or supplements, their bodies show less of a type of cell damage linked to aging and brain decline.

38
0
70%