Fish intake and arterial wall characteristics in healthy people and diabetic patients.

The relation between fish consumption and indices of arterial wall pathology was investigated in 31 healthy subjects and in 22 patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Arterial compliance in non-fish eaters, as measured by doppler ultrasonography, was significantly lower than that in fish eaters in the healthy group, in the NIDDM group, and in the two groups combined. In non-fish eaters an increase in proximal resistance at the common femoral artery and in the posterior tibial artery was significant only in the combined groups and in healthy subjects, respectively. The results support the hypothesis that fish consumption may be important for better arterial wall characteristics.