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Markers of high fish intake are associated with decreased risk of a first myocardial infarction

Author

  • C G Hallgren
  • G Hallmans
  • J H Jansson
  • S L Marklund
  • F Huhtasaari
  • A Schutz
  • Ulf Strömberg
  • B Vessby
  • Staffan Skerfving

Summary, in English

High intake of fish has been associated with reduced risk of CHD. The high content of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in fish has been suggested to be a protective factor. In addition, fish is the entirely dominating source of methylmercury for the general population, and the concentration of Hg in erythrocytes (Ery-Hg) is often used as an index of fish consumption. Our aim was to study the relationships between a first-ever myocardial infarction, Ery-Hg, activity of gluthathione peroxidase in erythrocytes (Ery-GSH-Px) and plasma concentration of the n-3 PUFA eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids (P-PUFA). In a population-based prospective nested case-control study within Northern Sweden seventy-eight cases of a first-ever myocardial infarction were compared with 156 controls with respect to Ery-Hg, P-PUFA and Ery-GSH-Px. Both Ery-Hg and P-PUFA, but not Ery-GSH-Px, were significantly higher in subjects reporting high fish intake (at least one meal per week) than in those with lower intake. This finding suggests that Ery-Hg and P-PUFA reflect previous long-term fish intake. Low risk of myocardial infarction was associated with high Ery-Hg or high P-PUFA. In a multivariate model the risk of myocardial infarction was further reduced in subjects with both high Ery-Hg and high P-PUFA (odds ratio 0.16, 95 % CI 0.04, 0.65). In conclusion, there is a strong inverse association between the risk of a first myocardial infarction and the biomarkers of fish intake, Ery-Hg and P-PUFA, and this association is independent of traditional risk factors.

Publishing year

2001

Language

English

Pages

397-404

Publication/Series

British Journal of Nutrition

Volume

86

Issue

3

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Cambridge University Press

Topic

  • Nutrition and Dietetics

Keywords

  • Fish intake
  • Mercury
  • n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids
  • Myocardial infarction

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1475-2662