Rationale for Use in Huntington's:  Early studies of mice that used combinations of omega 3's showed motor benefit [Clifford 2002].  Later studies of pure EPA were less successful [Van Raamsdonk 2005]. First human studies using combinations of EPA, DHA, and GLA gave positive results [Vaddadi 2002].  Miraxion, a pure EPA product failed in TREND-HD human trials. This may have been due to inadequate conversion of EPA to DHA [Arterburn 2006].

Dosage: Ongoing Alzheimer Consortium Trials are using 2 grams (1 gram twice a day) of pure DHA.  Obtaining this dosage from available supplements (that contain both EPA and DHA) will likely cause stomach side effects. My advise is to slowly increase to a dosage that does not give side effects.

Side Effects: Side effects include abdominal bloating, diarrhea, and easy bruising. High doses of omega-3 increase effects of blood thinners.

Sources: Use either the prescription drug or supplements approved by USP (U.S. Pharmacia) CL (Consumer Lab) or Covance. Other products may contain high levels of mercury and other toxins from the fish used in preparation of the product. Almost all of these products are obtained from fish oil that contains both DHA and EPA. Choose products that have highest DHA because those with high EPA to DHA ratios are likely to cause many more side effects.

• Omacor  Available by prescription. This is an FDA approved drug for high triglycerides. Each tab contains 375 mg DHA and 465 of EPA; 5 tablets provide almost 2 gm/day of DHA at a cost of $150 per month.  It is unlikely that insurers will cover more than 2 tablets per day.
• OmegaLife-3  Available online.  This product has passed quality and purity tests at Covance, a trusted laboratory.  Each tablet contains 400 mg of DHA and 800 mg of EPA.  Though only 5 tablets are needed for the 2 gram per day dose of DHA, the higher EPA dosage in this product compared to Omacor will likely increase stomach side effects.  The cost of 5 tablets per day is about $40 per month.

References

Clifford JJ, Drago J, Natoli AL, Wong JY, Kinsella A, Waddington JL, Vaddadi KS. Essential fatty acids given from conception prevent topographies of motor deficit in a transgenic model of Huntington's disease. Neuroscience 2002;109(1):81-8. PubMed abstract

Van Raamsdonk JM, Pearson J, Rogers DA, Lu G, Barakauskas VE, Barr AM, Honer WG, Hayden MR, Leavitt BR. Ethyl-EPA treatment improves motor dysfunction, but not neurodegeneration in the YAC128 mouse model of Huntington disease. Exp Neurol 2005 Dec;196(2):266-72. PubMed abstract

Vaddadi KS, Soosai E, Chiu E, Dingjan P. A randomised, placebo-controlled, double blind study of treatment of Huntington's disease with unsaturated fatty acids. Neuroreport 2002 Jan 21;13(1):29-33. PubMed abstract

Arterburn LM, Hall EB, Oken H. Distribution, interconversion, and dose response of n-3 fatty acids in humans. Am J Clin Nutr 2006 Jun;83(6 Suppl):1467S-1476S. PubMed abstract

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