David Brill
Moderate consumption of fatty fish and marine omega-3 fatty acids may help to protect against heart failure (HF), a study of Swedish men has found.
Eating fatty fish once a week reduced the chances of developing HF over 6 years by 12 percent, while consuming around 0.3 grams a day of marine omega-3 fatty acids reduced the risk by 33 percent (adjusted hazard ratios 0.88, 95 percent CI 0.68 – 1.13; and 0.67, 05 percent CI 0.50 – 0.90).
The apparent protective effect did not grow stronger with increasing consumption, however. Eating more than moderate amounts, in fact, restored HF risk almost to that of men who did not consume any fatty fish or marine omega-3 fatty acids.
The researchers conducted food questionnaires in 39,367 men aged 45 to 75, and followed them up in inpatient and cause-of-death registries from 1998 to 2004. A total of 597 men developed HF in this time, 34 of whom died. [Eur Heart J 2009 Apr 21; Epub ahead of print]
“Our study shows that a moderate intake of fatty fish and marine omega-3 fatty acids is associated with lower rates of HF in men, but that the men did not gain a greater benefit by eating more of these foods,” said lead author Dr. Emily Levitan, a cardiology research fellow at Harvard Medical School, US.
“This study reinforces the current recommendations for moderate consumption of fatty fish. For example, the Swedish National Food Administration recommends consuming fish two to three times per week, with one of those portions being fatty fish. Similarly, the American Heart Association recommends eating fish, preferably fatty fish, twice a week,” she said.
Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fish oil, have been previously shown to reduce blood pressure, triglycerides and platelet aggregation, and to benefit heart rate and endothelial function. Consumption of fatty fish, such as salmon, herring and mackerel, has also been shown to confer cardiovascular benefits: one such study found that moderate consumption reduced the risk of coronary death by 36 percent and total mortality by 17 percent. [JAMA 2006 Oct 18;296(15):1885-99]
The reason for the U-shaped association between consumption and HF risk in the present study is unclear, said Levitan, although she speculated that men with poor health may be eating more fish in an attempt to improve their wellbeing.
“It will be important to replicate these findings in other populations, particularly those including women, as our study was conducted in men only,” she added.
Omega-3 fatty acids may also have a protective effect against age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a recent study of elderly Australians suggests. One serving of fish per week reduced AMD risk by 31 percent, with a similar magnitude observed for consumption of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. [Arch Ophthalmol 2009 May;127(5):656-65]
The OMEGA (Randomized trial of omega-3 fatty acids on top of modern therapy after acute myocardial infarction) trial, however, found that daily consumption of omega-3 fatty acids had no benefit for preventing sudden cardiac death after acute myocardial infarction, in a cohort of 3,851 patients with 1-year follow-up. The results were presented recently at the Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology.
Eating fatty fish once a week reduced the chances of developing HF over 6 years by 12 percent, while consuming around 0.3 grams a day of marine omega-3 fatty acids reduced the risk by 33 percent (adjusted hazard ratios 0.88, 95 percent CI 0.68 – 1.13; and 0.67, 05 percent CI 0.50 – 0.90).
The apparent protective effect did not grow stronger with increasing consumption, however. Eating more than moderate amounts, in fact, restored HF risk almost to that of men who did not consume any fatty fish or marine omega-3 fatty acids.
The researchers conducted food questionnaires in 39,367 men aged 45 to 75, and followed them up in inpatient and cause-of-death registries from 1998 to 2004. A total of 597 men developed HF in this time, 34 of whom died. [Eur Heart J 2009 Apr 21; Epub ahead of print]
“Our study shows that a moderate intake of fatty fish and marine omega-3 fatty acids is associated with lower rates of HF in men, but that the men did not gain a greater benefit by eating more of these foods,” said lead author Dr. Emily Levitan, a cardiology research fellow at Harvard Medical School, US.
“This study reinforces the current recommendations for moderate consumption of fatty fish. For example, the Swedish National Food Administration recommends consuming fish two to three times per week, with one of those portions being fatty fish. Similarly, the American Heart Association recommends eating fish, preferably fatty fish, twice a week,” she said.
Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fish oil, have been previously shown to reduce blood pressure, triglycerides and platelet aggregation, and to benefit heart rate and endothelial function. Consumption of fatty fish, such as salmon, herring and mackerel, has also been shown to confer cardiovascular benefits: one such study found that moderate consumption reduced the risk of coronary death by 36 percent and total mortality by 17 percent. [JAMA 2006 Oct 18;296(15):1885-99]
The reason for the U-shaped association between consumption and HF risk in the present study is unclear, said Levitan, although she speculated that men with poor health may be eating more fish in an attempt to improve their wellbeing.
“It will be important to replicate these findings in other populations, particularly those including women, as our study was conducted in men only,” she added.
Omega-3 fatty acids may also have a protective effect against age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a recent study of elderly Australians suggests. One serving of fish per week reduced AMD risk by 31 percent, with a similar magnitude observed for consumption of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. [Arch Ophthalmol 2009 May;127(5):656-65]
The OMEGA (Randomized trial of omega-3 fatty acids on top of modern therapy after acute myocardial infarction) trial, however, found that daily consumption of omega-3 fatty acids had no benefit for preventing sudden cardiac death after acute myocardial infarction, in a cohort of 3,851 patients with 1-year follow-up. The results were presented recently at the Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology.
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