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Mortality in a cohort with high fish consumption
Anu W Turunen1, Pia K Verkasalo, Hannu Kiviranta
1National Public Health Institute, Department of Environmental Health, Kuopio, Finland. anu.turunen@ktl.fi
International Journal of Epidemiology
|June 27, 2008
Summary
Finnish fishermen and their wives showed lower mortality rates from most natural causes, despite high fish consumption and contaminant intake. This study found no increased mortality linked to environmental contaminants in fish.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Occupational Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Assessing mortality risks associated with high fish consumption in Finnish fishermen and their wives.
- Investigating potential health impacts of environmental contaminants present in consumed fish.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the mortality rates of fishermen and fishermen's wives in Finland.
- To determine if high consumption of contaminated fish correlates with increased mortality.
Main Methods:
- Identified cohorts of Finnish fishermen (N=6410) and their wives (N=4260) registered since 1980.
- Linked cohort data with national cause-of-death records until 2005.
- Calculated standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) and collected blood/food frequency data from volunteers.
Main Results:
- Fishermen and wives exhibited lower overall mortality (SMRs 0.78 and 0.84) and reduced ischemic heart disease mortality (SMRs 0.73 and 0.65).
- Fishermen showed decreased mortality from cerebrovascular diseases and malignant neoplasms, but not wives.
- Fishermen experienced extremely high mortality from water transport accidents (SMR 8.31).
Conclusions:
- Lower mortality from many natural causes observed in fishermen and their wives.
- No evidence of excess mortality linked to high environmental contaminant intake from fish consumption.
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