A study of several large studies involving participants from more than 60 countries, led by researchers from McMaster University, has found that eating oily fish regularly can help prevent cardiovascular disease ( CVD) in high-risk individuals, such as those who already have heart disease. or stroke.
The essential ingredient is omega-3 fatty acids, which researchers found to be associated with a lower risk of major CVD events such as heart attacks and strokes with about one-sixth of high-risk people. ate two servings of omega-3-rich fish per week.
There is a huge protective benefit from consuming fish in people with cardiovascular disease. “
Andrew Mente, lead co-author, associate professor of research methods, evidence, and influence at McMaster and principal investigator at the Institute for Population Health Research
No benefit was seen by consuming fish in those without heart disease or stroke.
“This study has a significant impact on global fish import guidelines. It shows that increased consumption of fish and especially oily fish in viral patients may have a small cardiovascular benefit.”
Mente said that people at low risk for cardiovascular disease may still have little protection from CVD by eating omega-3-rich fish, but the health benefits were less obvious than those high-risk people.
The study was published in JAMA Internal Medicine on 8 March.
The findings were based on data from nearly 192,000 people in four studies, including about 52,000 with CVD, and is the only study conducted on all five continents. Previous studies focused specifically on North America, Europe, China and Japan, with little information from other regions.
“This is the most diverse study of fish and health products in the world and the only one with sufficient numbers with representation from high, middle and low income countries from all continents. people live in the world, “said co – lead study Dr. Salim Yusuf, professor of medicine at the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine and executive director of PHRI.
This analysis is based on data from several studies conducted by the PHRI over the past 25 years. These studies were funded by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, several different pharmaceutical companies, charities, the Population Health Research Institute and the Hamilton Institute of Health Sciences Research.