title: Long-term fish intake is associated with better lipid profile, arterial blood pressure, and blood glucose levels in elderly people from Mediterranean islands (MEDIS epidemiological study).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A study to evaluate the link between long-term fish intake and health status in a sample of elderly adults was undertaken.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred men and women from Cyprus, 142 from Mitilini, and 100 from Samothraki islands (aged 65 to 100 years) were enrolled in this study during 2005-2006. Dietary habits (including fish consumption) were assessed through a food frequency questionnaire. Among various factors, fasting blood glucose, arterial blood pressures, and blood lipids were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-one percent of the participants reported that they had consumed fish approximately once a week (mean intake: 1.9+/-1.2 servings/week) for a mean period of 30 years. After adjusting for various confounders, fish intake was inversely associated with systolic blood pressure (p=0.026), fasting glucose (p<0.001), total serum cholesterol (p=0.012), and triglyceride levels (p=0.024). Multinomial logistic regression revealed that a decrease of 100 g per week in fish intake was associated with a 19% (95%CI: 1-41) higher likelihood of having one additional cardiovascular risk factor (i.e. hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, obesity).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicate that long-term fish intake is associated with reduced levels of the most common cardiovascular disease risk markers in a cohort of elderly people.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition-Dietetics, Harokopio University, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Demosthenes B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Panagiotakos
authors.forename: Akis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zeimbekis
authors.forename: Vassiliki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Boutziouka
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Economou
authors.forename: Georgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kourlaba
authors.forename: Pavlos
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Toutouzas
authors.forename: Evangelos
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Polychronopoulos
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000737:chemistry; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000378:metabolism; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D005396:Fish Products; D005399:Fishes; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D019083:Mediterranean Region; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001786:Blood Glucose; D008055:Lipids; D014280:Triglycerides