@article {730, title = {Cardiac benefits of fish consumption may depend on the type of fish meal consumed: the Cardiovascular Health Study.}, journal = {Circulation}, volume = {107}, year = {2003}, month = {2003 Mar 18}, pages = {1372-7}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Few studies have examined associations of fish consumption with ischemic heart disease (IHD) risk among older adults or how different types of fish meals relate to IHD risk.

METHODS AND RESULTS: In a population-based prospective cohort study, usual fish consumption was ascertained at baseline among 3910 adults aged > or =65 years and free of known cardiovascular disease in 1989 and 1990. Consumption of tuna and other broiled or baked fish correlated with plasma phospholipid long-chain n-3 fatty acids, whereas consumption of fried fish or fish sandwiches (fish burgers) did not. Over 9.3 years{\textquoteright} mean follow-up, there were 247 IHD deaths (including 148 arrhythmic deaths) and 363 incident nonfatal myocardial infarctions (MIs). After adjustment for potential confounders, consumption of tuna or other broiled or baked fish was associated with lower risk of total IHD death (P for trend=0.001) and arrhythmic IHD death (P=0.001) but not nonfatal MI (P=0.44), with 49\% lower risk of total IHD death and 58\% lower risk of arrhythmic IHD death among persons consuming tuna/other fish 3 or more times per week compared with less than once per month. In similar analyses, fried fish/fish sandwich consumption was not associated with lower risk of total IHD death, arrhythmic IHD death, or nonfatal MI but rather with trends toward higher risk.

CONCLUSIONS: Among adults aged > or =65 years, modest consumption of tuna or other broiled or baked fish, but not fried fish or fish sandwiches, is associated with lower risk of IHD death, especially arrhythmic IHD death. Cardiac benefits of fish consumption may vary depending on the type of fish meal consumed.

}, keywords = {Aged, Animals, Arrhythmias, Cardiac, Diet, Eating, Fatty Acids, Omega-3, Female, Fishes, Humans, Male, Myocardial Infarction, Myocardial Ischemia, Prospective Studies, Risk, Tuna}, issn = {1524-4539}, doi = {10.1161/01.cir.0000055315.79177.16}, author = {Mozaffarian, Dariush and Lemaitre, Rozenn N and Kuller, Lewis H and Burke, Gregory L and Tracy, Russell P and Siscovick, David S} } @article {718, title = {Early age-related maculopathy in the cardiovascular health study.}, journal = {Ophthalmology}, volume = {110}, year = {2003}, month = {2003 Jan}, pages = {25-33}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: To describe the prevalence of early age-related maculopathy (ARM) and its relation to atherosclerosis, lipids, hypertension, and inflammatory factors in a population studied for cardiovascular disease risk factors and outcomes.

DESIGN: Population-based cohort study.

PARTICIPANTS: A biracial population of 2361 adults (ranging from 69-97 years of age; 1998 whites and 363 blacks) living in four US counties (Allegheny County, Pennsylvania; Forsyth County, North Carolina; Sacramento County, California; and Washington County, Maryland) were examined during the interval from 1997 to 1998.

METHODS: Drusen and other lesions typical of ARM were identified by examining a 45 degrees color fundus photograph of one eye of each participant and classified by means of a modification of the Wisconsin Age-Related Maculopathy Grading System.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Early ARM.

RESULTS: Early ARM was present in 15.5\% and late ARM in 1.3\% of the cohort. The overall prevalence of any ARM was lower in blacks (9.1\%) compared with whites (18.2\%). While controlling for age, race, gender, and total calories consumed in the diet, factors associated with ARM were cerebral white matter disease as detected by magnetic resonance imaging (odds ratio [OR], 1.50; 95\% confidence interval [CI], 1.05, 2.16, P = 0.027), and lower serum total cholesterol (OR, per 10 mg/dl increase 0.95; 95\% CI, 0.91, 0.98, P = 0.02). There were no associations between hypertension, blood pressure, common carotid artery plaque, or any systemic inflammatory factors studied and early ARM.

CONCLUSIONS: This population-based study documents the higher prevalence of ARM in whites compared with blacks. Although an association was found between signs of white matter disease and early ARM, there was no evidence of an association of ARM with either hypertension or inflammatory factors.

}, keywords = {African Continental Ancestry Group, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Arteriosclerosis, Blood Pressure, C-Reactive Protein, California, Cohort Studies, Diet, European Continental Ancestry Group, Female, Humans, Hypertension, Leukocyte Count, Longitudinal Studies, Macular Degeneration, Male, Mid-Atlantic Region, North Carolina, Prevalence, Prospective Studies, Risk Factors, Serum Albumin}, issn = {0161-6420}, doi = {10.1016/s0161-6420(02)01565-8}, author = {Klein, Ronald and Klein, Barbara E K and Marino, Emily K and Kuller, Lewis H and Furberg, Curt and Burke, Gregory L and Hubbard, Larry D} } @article {818, title = {Fish consumption and stroke risk in elderly individuals: the cardiovascular health study.}, journal = {Arch Intern Med}, volume = {165}, year = {2005}, month = {2005 Jan 24}, pages = {200-6}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Associations between fish consumption and stroke risk have been inconsistent, possibly because of the differences in types of fish meals consumed. Additionally, such relationships have not been specifically evaluated in the elderly, in whom disease burden may be high and diet less influential.

METHODS: Among 4775 adults 65 years or older (range, 65-98 years) and free of known cerebrovascular disease at baseline in 1989-1990, usual dietary intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. In a subset, consumption of tuna or other broiled or baked fish, but not fried fish or fish sandwiches (fish burgers), correlated with plasma phospholipid long-chain n-3 fatty acid levels. Incident strokes were prospectively ascertained.

RESULTS: During 12 years of follow-up, participants experienced 626 incident strokes, including 529 ischemic strokes. In multivariate analyses, tuna/other fish consumption was inversely associated with total stroke (P = .04) and ischemic stroke (P = .02), with 27\% lower risk of ischemic stroke with an intake of 1 to 4 times per week (hazard ratio [HR], 0.73; 95\% confidence interval [CI], 0.55-0.98) and 30\% lower risk with intake of 5 or more times per week (HR, 0.70; 95\% CI, 0.50-0.99) compared with an intake of less than once per month. In contrast, fried fish/fish sandwich consumption was positively associated with total stroke (P = .006) and ischemic stroke (P = .003), with a 44\% higher risk of ischemic stroke with consumption of more than once per week (HR, 1.44; 95\% CI, 1.12-1.85) compared with consumption of less than once per month. Fish consumption was not associated with hemorrhagic stroke.

CONCLUSIONS: Among elderly individuals, consumption of tuna or other broiled or baked fish is associated with lower risk of ischemic stroke, while intake of fried fish or fish sandwiches is associated with higher risk. These results suggest that fish consumption may influence stroke risk late in life; potential mechanisms and alternate explanations warrant further study.

}, keywords = {Age Distribution, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Animals, Cohort Studies, Confidence Intervals, Diet, Fatty Acids, Omega-3, Female, Fish Oils, Fishes, Humans, Incidence, Male, Multivariate Analysis, Probability, Proportional Hazards Models, Risk Assessment, Seafood, Sensitivity and Specificity, Sex Distribution, Stroke, Surveys and Questionnaires, Survival Rate, United States}, issn = {0003-9926}, doi = {10.1001/archinte.165.2.200}, author = {Mozaffarian, Dariush and Longstreth, W T and Lemaitre, Rozenn N and Manolio, Teri A and Kuller, Lewis H and Burke, Gregory L and Siscovick, David S} } @article {6592, title = {Regular fish consumption and age-related brain gray matter loss.}, journal = {Am J Prev Med}, volume = {47}, year = {2014}, month = {2014 Oct}, pages = {444-51}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Brain health may be affected by modifiable lifestyle factors; consuming fish and antioxidative omega-3 fatty acids may reduce brain structural abnormality risk.

PURPOSE: To determine whether dietary fish consumption is related to brain structural integrity among cognitively normal elders.

METHODS: Data were analyzed from 260 cognitively normal individuals from the Cardiovascular Health Study with information on fish consumption from the National Cancer Institute Food Frequency Questionnaire and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The relationship between fish consumption data collected in 1989-1990 and brain structural MRI obtained in 1998-1999 was assessed using voxel-based morphometry in multiple regression analyses in 2012. Covariates were age, gender, race, education, white matter lesions, MRI-identified infarcts, waist-hip ratio, and physical activity as assessed by the number of city blocks walked in 1 week. Volumetric changes were further modeled with omega-3 fatty acid estimates to better understand the mechanistic link between fish consumption, brain health, and Alzheimer disease.

RESULTS: Weekly consumption of baked or broiled fish was positively associated with gray matter volumes in the hippocampus, precuneus, posterior cingulate, and orbital frontal cortex even after adjusting for covariates. These results did not change when including omega-3 fatty acid estimates in the analysis.

CONCLUSIONS: Dietary consumption of baked or broiled fish is related to larger gray matter volumes independent of omega-3 fatty acid content. These findings suggest that a confluence of lifestyle factors influence brain health, adding to the growing body of evidence that prevention strategies for late-life brain health need to begin decades earlier.

}, keywords = {Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Animals, Brain, Cross-Sectional Studies, Diet, Fatty Acids, Omega-3, Female, Fishes, Gray Matter, Humans, Life Style, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Regression Analysis, Surveys and Questionnaires}, issn = {1873-2607}, doi = {10.1016/j.amepre.2014.05.037}, author = {Raji, Cyrus A and Erickson, Kirk I and Lopez, Oscar L and Kuller, Lewis H and Gach, H Michael and Thompson, Paul M and Riverol, Mario and Becker, James T} }