Fish Oils and Cholesterol/Triglycerides Summaries of the latest research concerning fish oils and cholesterol/triglycerides Eating fish may lower inflammation in the blood vessels

ATHENS, GREECE. Consuming fish has long been thought to help protect against heart disease, possibly through reducing inflammation in blood vessels. However, study results on the effects of fish on inflammatory markers are mixed, so a team of researchers from Harokopio University set out to examine the relationship in a population-based group of men and women free of heart disease. They gathered data on 1,514 men and 1,528 women aged 18 to 89, taking part in the ongoing ATTICA study into the benefits of a Mediterranean diet on heart health. Compared to those who did not eat fish, those who ate the most (10.5 ounces per week or more) had an average 33 per cent lower level of C-reactive protein, a widely-used marker for inflammation. They also had a 33 per cent lower level of interleukin-6, another inflammatory marker found in the plasma. This group had 21 per cent lower tumor necrosis factor-alpha, which affects lipid metabolism, coagulation, and insulin resistance, and 28 per cent lower serum amyloid A, a blood protein increased by inflammation. Significantly lower levels of these markers were also found in people who ate about 5 to 10 ounces of fish per week. This clear and strong inverse association between fish consumption and inflammatory markers may help explain why people who eat fish tend to have lower rates of heart disease, say the authors. The benefits remained once many risk factors were taken into account and were observed even in people with high blood pressure or diabetes, but not high cholesterol. Nevertheless, it was a cross-sectional study which did not follow people over time, so cannot prove causation. These results support recommendations that people eat more fish, the authors write, particularly oily fish with their high levels of omega-3 fatty acids. One or two portions per week may be sufficient, but the fish should not be fried. In some cases, omega-3 fatty acid supplements may be appropriate to achieve an optimal intake of 0.6 grams of omega-3 fatty acids per day. Zampelas, A. et al. Fish consumption among healthy adults is associated with decreased levels of inflammatory markers related to cardiovascular disease: The ATTICA Study. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Vol. 46, July 2005, pp. 120-24/