Fish consumption and cardiovascular mortality in Canada: an inter-regional comparison.

There is growing evidence from both experimental and epidemiologic studies to suggest that regular fish consumption reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease in humans. However, a crude analysis of Canadian descriptive data does not support this hypothesis. Age-adjusted mortality from ischemic heart disease and cerebrovascular disease is actually higher in the Atlantic Provinces than in the Prairies where fish consumption is much lower. Possible reasons for this, including the importance of the type of fish consumed, and the effects of methods of preparation are discussed.