Fish intake and acute coronary syndrome

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Health
• Nutritional Epidemiology
• Preventive Cardiology

Background:

• Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) remains a leading cause of mortality worldwide.
• Dietary factors, particularly fish consumption, are investigated for their role in cardiovascular disease prevention.
• Understanding the specific impact of different types of fish on ACS risk is crucial for public health guidelines.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between fish consumption and the risk of developing acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in a large cohort of healthy adults.
• To differentiate the effects of lean versus fatty fish intake on ACS risk.
• To examine potential sex-specific differences in the fish-ACS relationship.

Main Methods:

• A prospective follow-up study involving 57,053 Danish men and women aged 50-64 years.
• Fish intake was quantified using a validated food frequency questionnaire.
• ACS cases were identified and verified through nationwide medical databases over a mean follow-up of 7.6 years.

Main Results:

• A significant inverse association was found between higher intake of fatty fish and lower risk of ACS in men (HR 0.67 for highest quintile vs. lowest).
• The protective effect of fatty fish was observed for intakes exceeding 6 g/day, with no additional benefit from higher consumption.
• No significant association was found between lean fish consumption and ACS risk in men or any fish type in women.

Conclusions:

• A moderate intake of fatty fish is associated with a reduced risk of acute coronary syndrome in middle-aged men.
• No consistent protective effect of fish consumption on ACS risk was observed in women.
• Findings suggest that incorporating fatty fish into the diet may be a beneficial strategy for primary prevention of ACS in men.