Relationship between fish consumption and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis

SK Tedeschi, JM Bathon, JT Giles, TC Lin… - Arthritis care & …, 2018 - Wiley Online Library
Arthritis care & research, 2018Wiley Online Library
Objective To assess whether more frequent fish consumption is associated with lower
rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease activity scores among participants in an RA cohort.
Methods We conducted a cross‐sectional analysis using baseline data from participants in
the Evaluation of Subclinical Cardiovascular Disease and Predictors of Events in
Rheumatoid Arthritis cohort study. Frequency of fish consumption was assessed by a
baseline food frequency questionnaire assessing usual diet in the past year. Multivariable …
Objective
To assess whether more frequent fish consumption is associated with lower rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease activity scores among participants in an RA cohort.
Methods
We conducted a cross‐sectional analysis using baseline data from participants in the Evaluation of Subclinical Cardiovascular Disease and Predictors of Events in Rheumatoid Arthritis cohort study. Frequency of fish consumption was assessed by a baseline food frequency questionnaire assessing usual diet in the past year. Multivariable, total energy–adjusted linear regression models provided effect estimates and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for frequency of fish consumption (i.e., never to <1 time/month, 1 time/month to <1 time/week, 1 time/week, and ≥2 times/week) on baseline Disease Activity Score in 28 joints (DAS28) using the C‐reactive protein (CRP) level. We also estimated the difference in DAS28‐CRP associated with increasing fish consumption by 1 serving per week.
Results
Among 176 participants, the median DAS28‐CRP score was 3.5 (interquartile range 2.9–4.3). In an adjusted linear regression model, subjects consuming fish ≥2 times/week had a significantly lower DAS28‐CRP compared with subjects who ate fish never to <1 time/month (difference −0.49 [95% CI −0.97, −0.02]). For each additional serving of fish per week, DAS28‐CRP was significantly reduced by 0.18 (95% CI −0.35, −0.004).
Conclusion
Our findings suggest that higher intake of fish may be associated with lower disease activity in RA patients.
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