A Cochrane review [Abstract] 1 included 3 trials with a total of 632 participants with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD). The trials investigated omega-3 PUFA supplements over 6, 12 and 18 months. There were no studies investigating other types of dementia.There was no evidence of a benefit from omega-3 PUFAs on cognitive function when measured at 6 months with the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale - Cognitive subscale (ADAS-Cog; SMD -0.02, 95% CI -0.19 to 0.15; 566 participants; 3 studies, n=566) or Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE, MD 0.18, 95% CI -1.05 to 1.41; 2 studies, n=202) or on activities of daily living (SMD -0.02, 95% CI -0.19 to 0.16; 2 studies; n=544). There was also no effect at 6 months of treatment on severity of dementia measured with the Clinical Dementia Rating - Sum of Boxes (MD -0.00, 95% CI -0.58 to 0.57; 2 studies, n=542) or on quality of life measured with the Quality of Life Alzheimer's Disease scale (MD -0.10, 95% CI -1.28 to 1.08; 1 study; n=322). There was no difference at 6 months on mental health measured with the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MD -0.10, 95% CI -0.74 to 0.54; 1 study, n=178) or the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (SMD 0.10, 95% CI -0.07 to 0.27; 2 studies; n=543). One very small study (n=22) showed a benefit for omega-3 PUFAs in instrumental activities of daily living after 12 months of treatment (MD -3.50, 95% CI -4.30 to -2.70). The included studies did not measure specific cognitive function or report adverse events. Data from one study showed no difference between groups in frequency of any adverse event (RR 1.02, 95% CI 0.95 to 1.10; 1 study, n=402) or any serious adverse event (RR 1.05, 95% CI 0.78 to 1.41; 1 study, n=402) at 18 months of treatment.
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