Mixed
Chronic low-level mercury exposure from fish consumption does not significantly increase coronary heart disease (CHD) risk in the general adult population, and may only lessen the magnitude of benefit from fish intake without causing net harm.
You do not need to avoid fish due to mercury concerns if you are an adult eating modest amounts. The mercury levels in typical fish do not significantly increase your risk of heart disease, and the heart benefits of eating fish remain intact.
a meta-analysis of the five studies that evaluated CHD events ... indicated no significant association between higher mercury exposure and risk of CHD (pooled RR = 1.12, 95% CI = 0.71-1.75). ... greater n-3 PUFA consumption was still associated with lower risk of CHD – higher mercury exposure simply lessened the slope of this benefit, but did not cause higher net risk
Why this rating
Based on a meta-analysis of 5 studies with inconsistent results and potential limitations (e.g., small sample sizes, selection bias), though the pooled result was non-significant.
Source
Fish, Mercury, Selenium and Cardiovascular Risk: Current Evidence and Unanswered Questions
Dariush Mozaffarian · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · 2009
DOI 10.3390/ijerph6061894
More from this paper
- Modest consumption of fatty fish (providing ~250 mg/day of EPA+DHA) significantly lowers the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality by approximately 36% compared to no intake, with benefits evident within weeks to months primarily through anti-arrhythmic mechanisms.Good
- Selenium may protect against the toxic effects of mercury and reduce cardiovascular risk through antioxidant mechanisms, but current human evidence for selenium supplementation preventing CHD is inconsistent and insufficient to draw firm conclusions.Limited
Related findings · Mixed
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