Eating fish may reduce infarct size and the occurrence of Q wave infarcts

Abstract

Objective: The present investigation was carried out to see whether intake of fish could influence infarct size as assessed by peak enzyme levels (CK_max and LD_max) as well as the occurrence of Q wave infarcts.

Design: The investigation was a prospectively planned cohort study.

Setting: The investigation was carried out at Ullevål University Hospital, Department of Cardiology and Department of Pharmacotherapeutics, University of Oslo, Oslo, and in four other Hospitals in Oslo and Lillehammer.

Subjects: Seven hundred and forty-five patients (median age 70 y, 64% males) admitted with proven acute myocardial infarction.

Results: Crude effects showed that the regression lines between the number of fish meals/week (FM/week) and CK_max in all patients and in the restricted cohorts of patients receiving/not receiving thrombolytic treatment were: y=2086-157·x(2P=0.004); y=2807-156·x (2P=0.110) and y=1260-54·x (2P=0.230); the corresponding results regarding LD_max were: y=1329-76·x (2P=0.009); y=1556-73·x (2P=0.120) and y=1047-39 x (2P=0.230). Odds ratio (OR) for developing Q wave infarcts in patients consuming >1.0 FM/week was 0.52, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.34–0.79; 2P=0.001. For the adjusted effects, the coefficients of FM/week for log (peak enzyme levels) in all three groups of patients (all patients, and the restricted cohorts of patients receiving/not receiving thrombolytic treatment) were negative with 2P values of 0.014, 0.033 and 0.165 (CK_max), and 0.006, 0.033 and 0.158 (LD_max). OR for developing Q wave infarcts in patients consuming >1.0 FM/week was 0.59, 95% CI 0.38–0.92; 2P=0.022.

Conclusions: The results indicate that consuming fish may reduce infarct size as assessed by CK_max and LD_max as well as the occurrence of Q wave infarcts.

Sponsors: Department of Pharmacotherapeutics and Research Forum, Ullevål University Hospital