Self-Reported Omega-3 Supplement Use Moderates the Association between Age and Exercising Cerebral Blood Flow Velocity in Older Adults

Abstract

Cerebral blood flow (CBF) decreases across the lifespan, and chronic conditions such as dementia and stroke accelerate this decline. Impaired CBF results in reduced delivery of oxygen and nutrients, which can damage the brain over time. Thus, there is a need to identify lifestyle interventions, including diet and exercise, to maintain CBF with aging and in the presence of chronic disease. In the present study, we used transcranial Doppler ultrasound to record middle cerebral artery velocity (MCAv), a surrogate measure of CBF, during moderate-intensity exercise in sedentary, cognitively normal older adults (n = 90). A multiple linear regression model (F(4, 85) = 3.21, p = 0.02) showed that self-reported omega-3 supplement use significantly moderated the association between age and mean exercising MCAv in these individuals (p = 0.01). Older age was associated with lower exercising MCAv in the group not taking omega-3 supplements, while exercising MCAv showed no decline with increasing age in the group who reported omega-3 supplement use. These findings suggest omega-3 supplementation may have an important role in the preservation of CBF with aging.

Apolipoprotein E4 Moderates the Association Between Vascular Risk Factors and Brain Pathology

“…Visits to our laboratory occurred in the morning (beginning between 7:30 and 9 am ) for each participant and have been described in detail previously 22,27–30. We monitored end-tidal carbon dioxide (P ET CO 2 ) with a nasal cannula and capnograph (BCI Capnocheck 9004) and heart rate (HR) with a 5-lead electrocardiogram (Cardiocard, Nasiff Associates).…”

“…As noted previously, 22,[27][28][29][30] we recruited a convenience sample of older adults from a registry of individuals interested in research. Inclusion criteria were: (1) between 65 and 90 years of age, (2) cognitively normal/nondemented based on neuropsychological testing, (3) underactive or sedentary lifestyle, and (4) completion of a ( 18 F-AV45) florbetapir PET scan within 6 months of the vascular laboratory visit.…”

“…Visits to our laboratory occurred in the morning (beginning between 7:30 and 9 AM) for each participant and have been described in detail previously. 22,[27][28][29][30] We monitored end-tidal carbon dioxide (P ET CO 2 ) with a nasal cannula and capnograph (BCI Capnocheck 9004) and heart rate (HR) with a 5-lead electrocardiogram (Cardiocard, Nasiff Associates). We continuously recorded beat-to-beat blood pressure with a finger plethysmograph (Finometer Pro; Finapres Medical Systems), from which we calculated mean arterial pressure (MAP).…”