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Fish Once a Month Can Cut Stroke Risk
Dec. 23, 2002 -- Turns out men who eat fish -- even just once a month -- may be less prone to stroke, according to new findings.
Previous studies have suggested that fish -- and possibly fish oilsupplements -- may decrease the risk of a stroke from a blood clot in the brain. These same studies have also implicated fish and supplements can cause a bleeding stroke. But researchers knew they needed to follow these preliminary studies with stronger research to get more accurate findings.
Researchers have thought that fish may decrease the risk of stroke through omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to decrease activity of blood-clotting cells. However, by doing this, it was also believed that heavy fish consumption -- and possibly supplements -- may increase the risk of a stroke from bleeding in the brain.
The current study followed more than 40,000 healthy men over 12 years. At four-year intervals between 1986 and 1998, they answered questions about food portions and whether they ate canned tuna, dark-meat fish -- such as mackerel, salmon, sardines, bluefish, and swordfish -- or shellfish, or other types of fish.
The study is published in the Dec. 25 issue of The Journal of American Medical Association.
Over the course of the study, 608 men had a stroke. Men who ate fish at least once a month were more than 40% less likely to have a blood-clotting stroke -- called ischemic stroke -- compared with those who ate fish less than once a month. The researchers found no protection from fish oil supplements but comment that the number of men taking them was too low to know for sure.
Eating fish five times a week or more did not reduce stroke much beyond that seen with eating fish just once a month.
But contrary to some previous research, the current study showed no association between fish or omega-3 fatty acids and the risk of a hemorrhagic stroke. However, the researchers say this part of their study isn't strong enough to completely rule out this possibility.
SOURCE: TheJournal of American Medical Association, Dec. 25, 2002.
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