Seafood consumption linked to lower risk of cardiometabolic disease

Eating seafood once or twice a week can lower the risk of cardiometabolic multimorbidity in older men, according to a study published in the European Journal of Nutrition.

The study, "Prospective associations between diet quality, dietary components, and risk of cardiometabolic multimorbidity in older British men," was published 19 June. It is the latest research conducted as part of a 20-year initiative to survey the global prevalence of cardiometabolic problems in older populations. The survey was designed for the World Health Organization (WHO) as a means of monitoring the prevalance of cardiovascular diseases in the U.K.

The study found men ages 60 to 79 who ate seafood once or twice a week had a lower risk of suffering multiple cardiometabolic diseases, including hypertension, diabetes, or cardiovascular disease such as coronary heart disease, which can lead to heart attacks.

While no significant associations were found between dietary patterns, quality, or composition and the risk of cardiometabolic multimorbidity in those studied, increased seafood and fish consumption were observed to be linked to a lower risk of the first cardiometabolic disease progressing to a cardiometabolic multimorbidity, according to News-Medical Life Sciences. That means men who suffer from one cartiometabolic issue such as type 2 diabetes, a heart attack, or a stroke were less likely to have that problem become exacerbated.

More broadly, the study also found the Mediterranean diet has been linked to lower risks of acute myocardial infarction, type 2 diabetes, and strokes. And those who ate more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and seafood are known to have a lower risk of stroke, coronary heart disease, andtype 2 diabetes, the study found.

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