Prev Med. 1999 May;28(5):520-9. Related Articles, Links
Fish consumption and mortality from all causes, ischemic heart disease, and stroke: an
ecological study.
Zhang J, Sasaki S, Amano K, Kesteloot H.
Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Catholic University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
BACKGROUND: The present study examined the relation between fish consumption and mortality from all
causes, ischemic heart disease, and stroke. METHODS: The fish consumption data in 1961-1963, 1979-
1981, and 1989-1991 and mortality data, age-standardized to 45-74 years, mean of the latest
available 3 years, mostly around 1992-1993, in 36 countries, were obtained from the Food and
Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization, respectively. RESULTS: There exists an
inverse univariate correlation between log fish consumption in 1961-1963, 1979-1981, and 1989-1991
and log all-cause (P < 0.01 to < 0.001) and ischemic heart disease
correlation between log fish consumption and log stroke mortality was found
was independently, significantly, and inversely associated with log all-cause (all P < 0.001),
ischemic heart disease (P < 0.01 to < 0.001), and stroke (P < 0.05 to < 0.001) mortality in all
three time periods in both
significant even after exclusion of Iceland and Japan, countries with the highest amount of fish
consumption and the lowest all-cause mortality rate. CONCLUSIONS: Fish consumption is associated
with a reduced risk from all-cause, ischemic heart disease, and stroke mortality at the population
level. Copyright 1999 American Health Foundation and Academic Press.