FISH OIL: SAFE ALTERNATIVE TO ASPIRIN THERAPY FOR STROKE PREVENTION?

A report in today,s issue of the Journal of the American Medical
Association suggests that fatty fish and omega-3 polyunsaturated (n3)
fatty acid may be as effective as daily aspirin therapy at reducing the
risk of thrombotic stroke, without the side effects of aspirin therapy.

Investigators tracked 79,839 female nurses from 1980 to 1994. At the
study,s onset, the subjects ranged in age from 34 to 59 years. Food
frequency questionnaires were used to ascertain the women,s intake of
fish and n3.

After controlling for various risk factors of cardiovascular disease,
investigators found that, compared with women who ate fish less than
once a month, women who ate fish one to three times a month had a 7%
reduced risk of stroke; women who ate fish once a week had a 22% risk
reduction; women who ate fish two to four times a week had a 27% lower
risk; and women who ate fish five or more times a week had a 52% lower
risk.

Findings applied primarily to thrombotic stroke. The study found no
association between consumption of fish or n3 fatty acids and the risk
of hemorrhagic stroke.

JAMA January 17, 2001;285:304-12.
http://jama.ama-assn.org/

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