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Fatty fish for heart health
06/03/2001 13:27 - (SA)
San Antonio - There is no upper age limit on
reaping the heart-healthy benefits of ``fatty fish'' like tuna,
salmon or mackerel, researchers report. In study of older Americans, average age 72, those who
consumed fatty fish even just once a week lowered their risk of a
fatal heart attack by 44% compared to the risk among those who
did not opt for the fish. Researchers from the University of
Washington's Cardiovascular Health Research Unit say, however,
that the benefit does not extend to fried fish, which is the most
common preparation method for lean fish like snapper or catfish. Dr Dariush Mozaffarian and colleagues presented the findings
last week at the American Heart Association's 41st Annual
Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention. The study, which is part of the National Heart, Lung and
Blood Institute's Cardiovascular Health Study, has followed about
4 000 volunteers aged 65 and older since 1988. In this latest
paper, Mozaffarian collected information on dietary fish intake
from 348 of the study participants, all of whom were followed for
more than six years. Mozaffarian said that eating fatty fish increased the levels
of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in the blood. Other
researchers have reported that the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty
acids prevent heart attacks by protecting against irregular
heartbeats called arrhythmias. In this study, the benefit was
limited to fatal heart attacks, Mozaffarian said. Last year, the American Heart Association issued new dietary
guidelines, which recommend eating fatty fish at least twice a
week.
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