@article {797, title = {Fish intake and risk of incident atrial fibrillation.}, journal = {Circulation}, volume = {110}, year = {2004}, month = {2004 Jul 27}, pages = {368-73}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in clinical practice and is particularly common in the elderly. Although effects of fish intake, including potential antiarrhythmic effects, may favorably influence risk of AF, relationships between fish intake and AF incidence have not been evaluated.

METHODS AND RESULTS: In a prospective, population-based cohort of 4815 adults > or =age 65 years, usual dietary intake was assessed at baseline 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. AF incidence was prospectively ascertained on the basis of hospital discharge records and annual electrocardiograms. During 12 years{\textquoteright} follow-up, 980 cases of incident AF were diagnosed. In multivariate analyses, consumption of tuna or other broiled or baked fish was inversely associated with incidence of AF, with 28\% lower risk with intake 1 to 4 times per week (HR=0.72, 95\% CI=0.58 to 0.91, P=0.005), and 31\% lower risk with intake > or =5 times per week (HR=0.69, 95\% CI=0.52 to 0.91, P=0.008), compared with <1 time per month (P trend=0.004). Results were not materially different after adjustment for preceding myocardial infarction or congestive heart failure. In similar analyses, fried fish/fish sandwich consumption was not associated with lower risk of AF.

CONCLUSIONS: Among elderly adults, consumption of tuna or other broiled or baked fish, but not fried fish or fish sandwiches, is associated with lower incidence of AF. Fish intake may influence risk of this common cardiac arrhythmia.

}, keywords = {Aged, Animals, Atrial Fibrillation, Cardiotonic Agents, Cohort Studies, Cooking, Diet, Dietary Fats, Fatty Acids, Omega-3, Fish Oils, Fishes, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Incidence, Massachusetts, Proportional Hazards Models, Prospective Studies, Risk, Seafood, Tuna}, issn = {1524-4539}, doi = {10.1161/01.CIR.0000138154.00779.A5}, author = {Mozaffarian, Dariush and Psaty, Bruce M and Rimm, Eric B and Lemaitre, Rozenn N and Burke, Gregory L and Lyles, Mary F and Lefkowitz, David and Siscovick, David S} } @article {6177, title = {Circulating omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and subclinical brain abnormalities on MRI in older adults: the Cardiovascular Health Study.}, journal = {J Am Heart Assoc}, volume = {2}, year = {2013}, month = {2013 Oct 10}, pages = {e000305}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Consumption of tuna or other broiled or baked fish, but not fried fish, is associated with fewer subclinical brain abnormalities on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We investigated the association between plasma phospholipid omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), objective biomarkers of exposure, and subclinical brain abnormalities on MRI.

METHODS AND RESULTS: In the community-based Cardiovascular Health Study, 3660 participants aged >= 65 underwent brain MRI in 1992-1994, and 2313 were rescanned 5 years later. MRIs were centrally read by neuroradiologists in a standardized, blinded manner. Participants with recognized transient ischemic attacks or stroke were excluded. Phospholipid PUFAs were measured in stored plasma collected in 1992-1993 and related to cross-sectional and longitudinal MRI findings. After multivariable adjustment, the odds ratio for having a prevalent subclinical infarct was 0.60 (95\% CI, 0.44 to 0.82; P for trend = 0.001) in the highest versus lowest long-chain omega-3 PUFA quartile. Higher long-chain omega-3 PUFA content was also associated with better white matter grade, but not with sulcal or ventricular grades, markers of brain atrophy, or with incident subclinical infarcts. The phospholipid intermediate-chain omega-3 PUFA alpha-linolenic acid was associated only with modestly better sulcal and ventricular grades. However, this finding was not supported in the analyses with alpha-linolenic acid intake.

CONCLUSIONS: Among older adults, higher phospholipid long-chain omega-3 PUFA content was associated with lower prevalence of subclinical infarcts and better white matter grade on MRI. Our results support the beneficial effects of fish consumption, the major source of long-chain omega-3 PUFAs, on brain health in later life. The role of plant-derived alpha-linolenic acid in brain health requires further investigation.

}, keywords = {Aged, Animals, Biomarkers, Brain, Cross-Sectional Studies, Fatty Acids, Omega-3, Female, Fishes, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Prospective Studies}, issn = {2047-9980}, doi = {10.1161/JAHA.113.000305}, author = {Virtanen, Jyrki K and Siscovick, David S and Lemaitre, Rozenn N and Longstreth, William T and Spiegelman, Donna and Rimm, Eric B and King, Irena B and Mozaffarian, Dariush} }