April 2023 Alzheimer’s News

Researchers have developed a new omega-3 fatty acid that could potentially stave off visual declines in Alzheimer’s patients, according to a new study recently published, though there is still no cure for the debilitating disease, which affects nearly 6 million Americans. Researchers at the University of Illinois, Chicago, developed an omega-3 fatty acid called docosahexaenoic acid, which they say can cross into the retina of an eye to reduce visual declines among people with Alzheimer’s, the most common type of dementia that slowly reduces cognitive abilities and memory. In lab tests using mice, researchers found the intake of the fatty acid increased the presence of the acid in the mice’s retinas and reduced visual impairments similar to those in human Alzheimer’s patients. The acid, also called DHA, is different from a similar omega-3 acid found in the daily supplement fish oil, which researchers say cannot travel to the retina from the bloodstream. Alzheimer’s Disease, a neurodegenerative condition that primarily affects older adults, often includes visual impairment, including peripheral vision loss, through a failure in the brain to process visual information, even when the person’s eyes still work, according to the Mississippi State University researcher Kendra Farrow. Visual impairments often include changes to depth perception, trouble reading and problems with deciphering contrasting colors, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
You can learn more by going to www. alz.org/help-support/resources or the Alzheimer’s Helpline which is accessible 24/7 via 800-272-3900 and staffed by master’s level clinicians to assist with crisis situations, decision making, and disease information. You can find virtual dementia caregiver resources online at alz.org/covid19help. Tools and support are also available in Spanish.
Want to learn more about the Alzheimer’s Association and what they do here in St. Louis? Visit alz.org and/or contact PUCC’s Faith Outreach Ambassador with the Alzheimer’s Association, Joyce Ruiz at joyceruiz7@gmail.com