Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2017 May 12;9(5):487.
doi: 10.3390/nu9050487.

Effects of Long-Chain Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Endothelial Vasodilator Function and Cognition-Are They Interrelated?

Julia C Kuszewski  1 , Rachel H X Wong  2 , Peter R C Howe  3
Affiliations
Review

Effects of Long-Chain Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Endothelial Vasodilator Function and Cognition-Are They Interrelated?

Julia C Kuszewski et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCn-3 PUFA) may improve brain functions by acting on endothelial cells in the cerebrovasculature to facilitate vasodilatation and perfusion. The aim of this review is to explore this hypothesis by analyzing the effect of LCn-3 PUFA supplementation on systemic vasodilator and cognitive function and finding evidence to link LCn-3 PUFA intake, vasodilator function and cognition. Forty randomized controlled trials examining the effect of LCn-3 PUFA supplementation in humans on either endothelial vasodilator function or cognition were identified and pooled effects measured with a weighted analysis. Compared to placebo, LCn-3 PUFA tended to increase flow-mediated dilatation and significantly improved cognitive function. Emerging evidence links vasodilator dysfunction to cognitive impairment, but evidence that LCn-3 PUFA can improve cognition through enhancements of vasodilator function is still lacking. Further research is needed to determine: (1) whether LCn-3 PUFA can enhance dilatation of cerebral vessels; (2) if improvements in cerebrovascular responsiveness by LCn-3 PUFA are accompanied by cognitive benefits; and (3) the target population groups.

Keywords: cerebral perfusion; cerebrovascular function; cognitive function; endothelial vasodilator function; flow-mediated dilatation; long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow chart of the study selection process for articles investigating the effect of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCn-3 PUFA) supplementation on endothelial vasodilator function.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Flow chart of the study selection process for articles investigating the effect of LCn-3 PUFA supplementation on cognitive function.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Schematic picture of the suggested relationship between endothelial dysfunction and impaired cognitive function, mediated by impaired cerebrovascular responsiveness to cognitive demands.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare . Dementia in Australia. AIHW; Canberra, Australia: 2012.
    1. Efimova I.Y., Efimova N.Y., Triss S.V., Lishmanov Y.B. Brain perfusion and cognitive function changes in hypertensive patients. Hypertens. Res. 2008;31:673–678. doi: 10.1291/hypres.31.673. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Kelleher R.J., Soiza R.L. Evidence of endothelial dysfunction in the development of Alzheimer’s disease: Is Alzheimer’s a vascular disorder? Am. J. Cardiovasc. Dis. 2013;3:197–226. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ruitenberg A., den Heijer T., Bakker S.L.M., van Swieten J.C., Koudstaal P.J., Hofman A., Breteler M.M.B. Cerebral hypoperfusion and clinical onset of dementia: The Rotterdam study. Ann. Neurol. 2005;57:789–794. doi: 10.1002/ana.20493. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Shi J., Perry G., Smith M.A., Friedland R.P. Vascular abnormalities: The insidious pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. Neurobiol. Aging. 2000;21:357–361. doi: 10.1016/S0197-4580(00)00119-6. - DOI - PubMed

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources