ABSTRACT
Objective:To quantify any correlation between serum levels of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω3-PUFAs) and post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI).Methods:The clinical data of 77 patients hospitalized after a first stroke were analyzed. The Minimum Mental State Examination (MMSE) was used to divide them into impaired (PSCI) and unimpaired (non-PSCI) cohorts. The serum levels of ω3-PUFAs, α-linolenic acid (ALA), eieosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and dueosahexenoie acid (DHA) were compared between the two groups and correlated with the individuals′ MMSE scores.Results:The average ALA, EPA, DHA and total ω3-PUFAs levels of PSCI group were in most cases significantly lower than those of the non-PSCI group. Spearman correlation analysis showed that serum DHA level was a weak positive predictor of the MMSE scores (R=0.32, P≤0.05). Logistic regression analysis indicated that low serum DHA level was an independent risk factor for PSCI ( P≤0.01). Conclusions:Cognitively impaired stroke survivors tend to have lower serum ω3-PUFAs levels than those without cognitive impairment. There is a weak positive correlation between serum DHA levels and MMSE scores. Low serum DHA level is an independent risk factor for PSCI. The serum level of ω3-PUFAs is of high value in the auxiliary diagnosis and evaluation of PSCI.