Abstract

AIMS:

To study the effect of fish consumption on the risk of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in healthy subjects.

METHODS AND RESULTS:

This Danish follow-up study included 57,053 men and women between 50 and 64 years. Intake of lean and fatty fish was estimated from a detailed and validated food frequency questionnaire. Potential cases of ACS were identified through nationwide medical databases. A total of 1122 cases of ACS were verified during a mean follow-up period of 7.6 years. Among men, intake of fatty fish was associated with a lower risk of ACS. For men in the highest quintile of fish intake compared with the lowest quintile, the hazard ratio was 0.67 (95% confidence interval: 0.53-0.85). The inverse association was observed for intakes >6 g of fatty fish per day with no obvious additional benefit observed for higher intakes. Intake of lean fish was not associated with ACS. There were few cases of ACS and results were not consistent in women.

CONCLUSION:

In conclusion, a modest intake of fatty fish was associated with a lower risk of ACS in middle-aged men, whereas no consistent associations were observed among women.