Eating fish helps keep stroke at bay, with caveats

Eating fish can reduce the risk of stroke, but the benefit is dictated by how fish is prepared and how often it is consumed, according to a study. Specifically, frequent consumption of baked or broiled fish is protective, while regular consumption of fried fish contributes to a risk increase, which differs by socioeconomic status.

The study included 4,007 adults aged ≥65 years in the Cardiovascular Health Study. Researchers looked at the participants’ fish consumption type (baked/broiled vs fried) and frequency and data on stroke incidence and stroke risk factors.

Multilevel regression models were applied to estimate the association between fish consumption and clinical outcomes and whether this differed by neighbourhood socioeconomic status (NSES).

Lower NSES was associated with higher intake of fried fish (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.47, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.10–1.98) as well as lower consumption of nonfried fish (aOR, 0.64, 95 percent CI, 0.47–0.86).

The risk of stroke was much higher among participants who frequently (at least once weekly) vs less frequently (less than once a month) consumed fried fish (11.9 vs 9.2 person-years; p<0.05). The same was true for those who ate nonfried fish with less (less than once a month) vs greater (at least once weekly) frequency (17.7 vs 9.6 person-years; p<0.05).

However, among participants with similar consumption levels of healthy fish (baked or broiled), the stroke reduction benefit was less pronounced for those with low NSES vs high NSES.