Plasma fatty acids have been reported to be dysregulated in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), though outcomes are not always consistent, and subject numbers often small. Our aim was to use a meta-analysis and systematic review approach to identify if plasma fatty acid dysregulation would be observed in case control studies of AD and MCI. Six databases were searched for studies reporting quantified levels of fatty acids in MCI and/or AD individuals, relative to cognitively normal controls. Docosahexaenoic (DHA) and vaccenic acids were significantly lower and higher respectively in MCI relative to controls. Total fatty acids were 27.2% lower in AD relative to controls, and this was reflected almost uniformly in all specific fatty acids in AD. Changes to plasma/serum fatty acids were identified in both MCI and AD relative to age and gender matched controls. Differences were greatest in AD, in both total number of fatty acids significantly altered, and the degree of change. Docosahexaenoic acid was lower in both MCI and AD, suggesting that it may be a driver of pathology.

据报道，血浆脂肪酸在轻度认知障碍（MCI）和阿尔茨海默氏病（AD）中失调，尽管结局并不总是一致的，而且受试者人数通常很少。我们的目标是使用荟萃分析和系统的审查方法来确定在AD和MCI的病例对照研究中是否会观察到血浆脂肪酸失调。搜索了六个数据库，以研究报告MCI和/或AD个体中相对于认知正常对照的脂肪酸的定量水平。相对于对照组，二十二碳六烯酸（DHA）和痘苗酸分别显着降低和升高。相对于对照，AD中的总脂肪酸降低了27.2％，这在AD中的所有特定脂肪酸中几乎均一地反映出来。相对于年龄和性别匹配的对照，在MCI和AD中均发现血浆/血清脂肪酸的变化。AD的差异最大，脂肪酸总数和变化程度均显着。二十二碳六烯酸在MCI和AD中均较低，表明它可能是病理的驱动因素。