Put 'em in a pan and cook them up
McMaster University
An analysis of several large studies involving participants from more than 60 countries, spearheaded by researchers from McMaster University, has found that eating oily fish regularly can help prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD) in high-risk individuals, such as those who already have heart disease or stroke.
The
critical ingredient is omega-3 fatty acids, which researchers found was
associated with a lower risk of major CVD events such as heart attacks and
strokes by about a sixth in high-risk people who ate two servings of fish rich
in omega-3 each week.
"There
is a significant protective benefit of fish consumption in people with
cardiovascular disease," said lead co-author Andrew Mente, associate
professor of research methods, evidence, and impact at McMaster and a principal
investigator at the Population Health Research Institute.
No
benefit was observed with consumption of fish in those without heart disease or
stroke.
"This study has important implications for guidelines on fish intake globally. It indicates that increasing fish consumption and particularly oily fish in vascular patients may produce a modest cardiovascular benefit."
Mente
said people at low risk for cardiovascular disease can still enjoy modest
protection from CVD by eating fish rich in omega-3, but the health benefits
were less pronounced than those high-risk individuals.
The
study was published in JAMA Internal Medicine on March 8.
The
findings were based on data from nearly 192,000 people in four studies,
including about 52,000 with CVD, and is the only study conducted on all five
continents. Previous studies focused mainly on North America, Europe, China and
Japan, with little information from other regions.
"This
is by far the most diverse study of fish intake and health outcomes in the
world and the only one with sufficient numbers with representation from high,
middle and low income countries from all inhabited continents of the world,"
said study co-lead Dr. Salim Yusuf, professor of medicine at the Michael G.
DeGroote School of Medicine and executive director of the PHRI.
This
analysis is based in data from several studies conducted by the PHRI over the
last 25 years. These studies were funded by the Canadian Institutes for Health
Research, several different pharmaceutical companies, charities, the Population
Health Research Institute and the Hamilton Health Sciences Research Institute.