Fish consumption decreases mortality risk in diabetes

In adults with diabetes, high fish consumption is associated with low risk of death from cardiovascular disease (CVD), especially stroke, according to a new study published in the journal Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases.

The study was conducted by A. Deng, Department of Epidemiology, Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, Georgia, U.S., and colleagues to examine the beneficial effects of fish consumption on CVD among adults with diabetes, who experience a substantially high risk of CVD.

The consumption of fish reportedly reduces the risk of heart disease, but the secondary prevention of CVD death by increasing fish intake among diabetic adults is poorly described.

For the study, the researchers analyzed the data of 1,136 adults aged 18 and older with diabetes mellitus who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-1994, and were followed up through December 31, 2010. We used Cox regression to estimate the adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for the relative risk across the levels of fish consumption.

Key Findings:

• A total of 698 deaths was recorded by the end of 11,465 person-years follow-up with a mortality rate of 60.88 per 1000 person-years. CVD was listed as a contributing cause for 326 deaths, accounting for 46.4% of total deaths.


• The stroke-specific mortality rate among patients who ate fish less than once a week was more than twice as high as that among patients who ate fish more than twice a week, 6.23 vs. 2.36 per 1000 person-years.


• High consumption of fish was related to a low risk of dying from CVD, especially, stroke, among adults with diabetes.


• Compared with patients eating fish less than once a week, those eating fish 2+ a week had 70% lower stroke death rate.

"A high consumption of fish was associated with a low risk of dying from CVD, especially, stroke, among adults with diabetes," concluded the authors.

For further reference click on the link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.numecd.2018.05.011