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Title: Stroke risk from fried fish
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URL Source: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/734814
Published: Dec 27, 2010
Author: Megan Brooks
Post Date: 2010-12-27 06:29:04 by Tatarewicz
Keywords: None
Views: 66
Comments: 2
Fried Fish May Contribute to Increased Risk in 'Stroke Belt' December 23, 2010 — Americans living in the southern "stroke belt" states consume more fried fish than people living in other areas of the country, which may contribute to the region's high stroke mortality rate, a new study suggests. "Eating less healthy fish may be contributing to America's stroke belt and to racial disparities in stroke," Fadi B. Nahab, MD, medical director of the Stroke Program at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, told Medscape Medical News. Dr. Fadi B. Nahab "Our study is the first major study to look at geographic differences in fish consumption in and out of the stroke belt," Dr. Nahab noted. The study appears in the December 22 issue of Neurology. The REGARDS Study People who live in the stroke belt states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Louisiana are more likely to die from stroke than people living in other parts of the United States, the researchers note. Omega-3 fatty acids in fish, especially oily fish, favorably alter platelet aggregation, blood pressure, lipid profile, and endothelial function and may reduce the risk for ischemic stroke. However, when fish is fried, it loses natural omega-3 fatty acids. Moreover, in the United States, most fish served fried tends to be from lean species that pack lower amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. The Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study is a national, population-based longitudinal cohort study with oversampling of blacks and persons living in the stroke belt. The total cohort is made up of 30,239 participants aged 45 years and older. Dr. Nahab's team studied 21,675 of the participants; 34% were black, 56% were women, and 74% were overweight (body mass index, 25.0 kg/m2 or higher). Their mean age was 64.9 years. Forty-four percent lived in non–stroke belt states, 34% lived in the stroke belt, and 19% lived in the stroke "buckle" — the coastal plain region of North and South Carolina and Georgia — an area within the stroke belt with the highest stroke mortality rates. A food frequency questionnaire was used to gauge intake of oysters, shellfish, tuna, fried fish, and other fish not fried. Although black participants consumed more total fish servings per week than their white counterparts, most of the additional consumption was in the form of fried fish. "African Americans were 3.5 times more likely to have 2 or more servings of fried fish per week than whites, regardless of where they lived," Dr. Nahab said. "Overall, African Americans ate twice as much fried fish as whites did in the study." Table 1. Type and Amount of Fish Eaten by Race (Mean Servings Per Week) Variable Black White P Value Total fish 2.42 1.89 < .0001 Total fried fish 0.96 0.47 < .0001 Total nonfried fish 1.57 1.53 0.19 Total average servings of fish per week were lower among residents of the stroke belt and stroke buckle than residents of other areas, but stroke belt and stroke buckle residents ate less nonfried fish and more fried fish. Table 2. Type and Amount of Fish Eaten by Region (Mean Servings Per Week) Variable Stroke Belt Stroke Buckle Other Areas Total fish 2.01 2.05 2.11* Total fried fish 0.68 0.64 0.62 Total nonfried fish 1.45 1.52 1.63* * P < .05. Fish Intake Inadequate for Most The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends 2 or more servings of fish (preferably oily fish) per week for people without known cardiovascular disease. In people with documented cardiovascular disease, the AHA suggests considering additional supplements of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid . In the REGARDS study, less than one quarter of the participants (5022/21,675) ate 2 or more servings of nonfried fish per week. Compared with people outside the stroke belt, those in the stroke belt were 17% less likely to eat 2 or more weekly servings of nonfried fish (odds ratio [OR], 0.83; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.77 - 0.90) but 32% more likely to have 2 or more weekly servings of fried fish (OR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.17 - 1.50). People living in the stroke buckle were 11% less likely to get at least 2 weekly servings of nonfried fish (OR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.81 - 0.98), but they were 17% more likely to have 2 or more weekly servings of fried fish (OR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.00 - 1.50) than those living outside the stroke belt. "The magnitude of the geographic and racial differences surprised me," Dr. Nahab admitted. Clinical Implications It is possible, he added, that differences in dietary fish consumption — and specifically cooking methods such as frying — contribute to the higher rates of stroke among those who live in the stroke belt and among blacks. "Because the fish served fried frequently has lower levels of the omega-3 fats docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid, which have been shown to be beneficial for cardiovascular disease prevention, increases in oily fish consumption (salmon, herring, mackerel), limiting fried fish intake, and/or supplementation of fish oil may potentially contribute to stroke prevention," Dr. Nahab concludes. In the current study, only 6% of participants reported taking fish oil supplements, including 5% of white participants and 1% of black participants. The study was supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the National Institutes of Health, and the Department of Health and Human Services. Additional support was provided by General Mills for coding of the Block Food Frequency Questionnaire. Dr. Nahab has received honoraria from the National Stroke Association and Imedex. A complete list of author disclosures is provided with the original paper. Neurology. Published online December 22, 2010.
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#1. To: Tatarewicz (#0)
Those statistics are racist! I'd like to see them do a study on KFC and grape drink consumption. .
Although black participants consumed more total fish servings per week than their white counterparts, most of the additional consumption was in the form of fried fish.
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#2. To: Tatarewicz (#0)
Bogus study, dude went out on a limb to hypothesize his foregone conclusion. Blacks also consume more salt than white people, no mention of that in this "study".
It is possible, he added, that differences in dietary fish consumption — and specifically cooking methods such as frying — contribute to the higher rates of stroke among those who live in the stroke belt and among blacks.
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