Fish intake and death from pulmonary embolisms among Japanese men and women ― The Japan Collaborative Cohort (JACC) study ―

Abstract

Background: Numerous studies have reported the association of cardiovascular risk factors with pulmonary embolism (PE), but the association of dietary factors, especially fish intake, with the risk of PE has not been fully established. Methods and Results: Using a prospective design, we studied the risk of PE mortality in relation to fish intake in 90,791 community-dwelling men and women in Japan aged 40–79 years. The hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for PE death were estimated using the Cox proportional hazards model. Compared with participants in the lowest fresh fish intake group (<1 time/month), the HRs (95% CIs) for PE death for those in the other intake groups were 0.35 (0.08–1.59) for 1–2 times/month, 0.19 (0.05–0.69) for 1–2 times/week, 0.20 (0.06–0.74) for 3–4 times/week, and 0.18 (0.05–0.66) for fish intake every day. In addition to these findings, compared with the participants in the lowest 10% of ω3 polyunsaturated fatty acid intake, those in the other groups had a 60–76% lower risk of PE death. Conclusions: Fresh fish intake, even 1–2 times/week, is associated with a lower risk of death from PE among Japanese men and women.