Fish, omega 3 reduce eye disease risk

BOSTON, March 16 (UPI) -- Eating fish that contains omega-3 is associated with a significantly reduced risk of developing age-related macular degeneration, U.S. researchers say.

William G. Christen of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston and colleagues collected data on 38,022 women -- part of the Women's Health Study -- who had not been diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration.

The women's consumption of food was ascertained via questionnaire at the beginning of the study and included information on intake of docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid -- omega-3 fatty acids found in fish -- and arachidonic acid and linoleic acid -- omega-6 fatty acids.

The women were tracked for about 10 years of follow-up and 235 cases of age-related macular degeneration were reported.

The study, published online ahead of print in the June issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, found women who consumed the most DHA had a 38 percent lower risk of developing age-related macular degeneration than women who consumed the lowest amount.

Consumption of one or more servings of fish per week, when compared to less than one serving of fish per month, was associated with a 42 percent lower risk of age-related macular degeneration.

"This lower risk appeared to be due primarily to consumption of canned tuna fish and dark-meat fish," Christen says.