Objective: To compare the association of habitual fish intake with 17-yr mortality of coronary heart disease between normoglycemic and glucose intolerant elderly subjects.
Research design and methods: In 1971, 272 men and women, 64-87 yr of age, were examined in a general practice in the town of Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Glucose intolerance (impaired glucose tolerance or diabetes mellitus) was observed in 83 subjects, and 189 subjects were found to be normoglycemic and free of clinically diagnosed diabetes mellitus. Information on usual dietary intake was obtained using the cross-check dietary history method.
Results: Fish consumption was found in 58.7% of the normoglycemic population and in 62.4% of the glucose intolerant population. Among normoglycemic subjects, the age- and sex-adjusted 17-yr mortality for coronary heart disease was 10.9/1000 person-yr for those who ate fish and 25.1/1000 person-yr for those who did not. For the glucose intolerant population, the rates were 20.6/1000 and 31.2/1000 person-yr, respectively. Adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, smoking, alcohol use, intake of energy, polyunsaturated fat, and carbohydrates, the risk ratio for normoglycemic population was 0.34 (95% confidence interval: 0.16-0.72). For glucose intolerant subjects, an adjusted risk ratio of 0.80 (95% confidence interval: 0.31-2.05) was observed.
Conclusions: These results suggest that in a glucose intolerant population the possible protective effect of fish intake on coronary heart disease may be smaller than in normoglycemic subjects.