Serum levels of SFAs linked to mild cognitive impairment

Serum concentrations of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) appear to predict the development of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in middle-aged and older adults, reports a study.

Overall, 607 Chinese adults (aged ≥45 years) participated in the baseline survey of The Lifestyle and Healthy Aging of Chinese Square Dancer Study. Gas chromatography system with a mass spectrometer was used to quantify serum levels of SFAs, including six even-chain SFAs (C14:0, C16:0, C18:0, C20:0, C22:0, and C24:0) and four odd-chain SFAs (C15:0, C17:0, C21:0, and C23:0).

Using Petersen’s criteria, neurologists diagnosed prevalent MCI through uniformed neuropsychological tests, including trail-making test-part B (TMT-B), auditory verbal learning test (AVLT), digit symbol substitution test (DSST), and verbal fluency test (VFT).

Participants had a median age of 62 years, and 86 (14.17 percent) were living with MCI. Higher levels of even-chain or odd-chain individual SFAs significantly correlated with an increased likelihood of MCI. The odds ratios were 2.054 (95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.012–4.171) for C14:0, 2.246 (95 percent CI, 1.061–4.755) for C16:0, 2.789 (95 percent CI, 1.321–5.886) for C18:0, 2.329 (95 percent CI, 1.136–4.778) for C15:0, and 2.761 (95 percent CI, 1.310–5.820) for C17:0.

“Determining the link between SFA profiles and MCI may inform a better understanding of the potential role of saturated fat intake on cognitive function,” the authors said.