Fish Consumption Helps Maintain Heart Muscle Health

by | Jan 8, 2010 | 2009, Cardiovascular Health, Fish Oil Supplements

Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Researchers found that “moderate fish consumption” (consuming fish 1- 2 times per week) was associated with a 53% reduced risk of developing left ventricular dysfunction in those with Acute Coronary Syndrome, compared to those who consumed fish less than one time per week.

Atherosclerosis is “one of the most widespread conditions that threaten human health and survival” (1). It is characterized by damage to blood vessel walls from a number of factors including infection, mechanical damage, and damaged LDL cholesterol, all of which leads to a chronic inflammation (2). It currently affects nearly 81 million Americans (3) and costs our healthcare system over $6 billion each year (4).

Atherosclerosis degenerates into what’s called “Acute Coronary Syndrome” and manifests as diseases such as heart failure, which costs our healthcare system $30 billion per year (5) and develops in 30 to 45% of patients with atherosclerosis (6). A form of heart failure that occurs in the largest part of the heart (the left ventricle) is called “left ventricular dysfunction”. This condition develops in as many as 60% of those with heart failure (6).

Now a new study (7) has found that fish consumption may help with left ventricular dysfunction. The study involved 934 patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome (437 with left ventricular dysfunction and 497 with normal left ventricle function. They provided information regarding their diet, smoking habits, and physical activity by completing a semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire (8).

The researchers found that “moderate fish consumption” (consuming fish 1-  2 times per week) was associated with a 53% reduced risk of developing left ventricular dysfunction in those with Acute Coronary Syndrome, compared to those who consumed fish less than one time per week. What’s more, those in the moderate fish consumption with normal ventricular function group had levels of oxidized LDL cholesterol that were 22% lower than those with ventricular dysfunction and in the lowest fish consumption group (71 vs. 91 mU/Liter).

The researchers attribute these heart-healthy effects of fish to omega-3 fats, which have been shown to decrease heart rate (9), improve blood vessel function and inflammation response (10), and lower lipids and blood pressure levels (11). They concluded that “Moderate fish consumption seems to offer significant protection against the development of systolic dysfunction…[and] attributed to its beneficial effect on [cell damage] and [blood vessel function].”

Source: Kastorini, C‐M., C. Chrysohoou, P. Aggelopoulos, D. Panagiotakos, C. Pitsavos, and C. Stefanadis. “Moderate fish consumption is associated with lower likelihood of developing left ventricular systolic dysfunction in acute coronary syndrome patients.” Journal of food science 75, no. 1 (2010).

© 2009 Institute of Food Technologists®

Posted January 10, 2010.

References:

  1. Ross R. The pathogenesis of atherosclerosis: a perspective for the 1990s. Nature 1993;362:801–9.
  2. Libby P. Inflammation in atherosclerosis. Nature 2002;420:868 –74.
  3. “Cardiovascular Disease Statistics” posted on the American Heart Association website.
  4. “Atherosclerosis” posted on the Office of Science Policy, National Institute of Health website.
  5. A Report From the American Heart Association Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—2006 Update.  Circulation 2006;113:e85-e151.
  6. Weir RA, McMurray JJ, Velazquez EJ. 2006. Epidemiology of heart failure and left ventricular systolic dysfunction after acute myocardial infarction: prevalence, clinical characteristics, and prognostic importance. Am J Cardiol 97:13F–25F.
  7. Kastorini CM.  Moderate Fish Consumption is Associated with Lower Likelihood of Developing Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction in Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients Jou Food Sci.  Printed online December 8, 2009. doi: 10.1111/j.1750-3841.2009.01425.x.
  8. Panagiotakos DB, Pitsavos C, Zampelas A, Chrysohoou C, Stefanadis C. 2005a. The relationship between fish consumption and the risk of developing acute coronary syndromes among smokers: the CARDIO2000 case-control study. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis 15:402–9.
  9. Corbi GM, Carbone S, Ziccardi P, Giugliano G, Marfella R, Nappo F, Paolisso G, Esposito K, Giugliano D. 2002. FFAs and QT intervals in obese women with visceral adiposity: effects of sustained weight loss over 1 year. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 87:2080–3.
  10. Zampelas A, Panagiotakos DB, Pitsavos C, Das UN, Chrysohoou C, Skoumas Y, Stefanadis C. 2005. Fish consumption among healthy adults is associated with decreased levels of inflammatory markers related to cardiovascular disease: the ATTICA study. J Am Coll Cardiol 46:120–4.
  11. Geleijnse JM, Giltay EJ, Grobbee DE, Donders AR, Kok FJ. 2002. Blood pressure response to fish oil supplementation: metaregression analysis of randomized trials. J Hypertens 20:1493–9.