Higher fish consumption is associated with longer time to relapse in women with multiple sclerosis
Eden Dolling1, Eleanor Dunlop1, Alison Daly1, Lucinda Black1,21Curtin School of Population Health, Perth,, Western Australia, Australia2Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Melbourne,, Victoria, Australia
Abstract
Background
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. Fish consumption has been associated with reduced likelihood of MS. Here, we tested associations between fish consumption and onset of relapses.
Methods
The AusLong Study is a multicentre, prospective, study of adults diagnosed with central nervous system demyelination at baseline and reviewed at 5 and 10 years (10 years: n=176 women, 49 men). Consumption of tinned, grilled, and fried fish was collected by food frequency questionnaire at baseline and each review. Onset of relapses was recorded annually by questionnaire and medical notes. We used the first diagnostic event as the origin, with time to onset of each subsequent relapse calculated from the date of the previous relapse (up to the 10-year review). We used survival analysis to test associations between fish consumption (servings/day) at each time point and time between the onset of relapses. We adjusted for age, BMI, region, history of infectious mononucleosis and use of disease modifying therapies.
Results
Higher consumption of total and tinned fish (servings/day) was associated with longer time to relapse onset (HR=0.58, 95% CI (0.40,0.83); coefficient -0.55, 95% CI (-0.91,-0.19), p=0.003; HR=0.88, 95% CI (0.81,0.95); coefficient -0.13, 95% CI (-0.21,-0.05), p<0.002, respectively) in women. There were no other statistically significant associations between fish consumption and time to relapse onset in women or men.
Conclusion
Fish contains nutrients (e.g., vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids) that may have immunomodulatory and neuroprotective effects. Higher fish consumption may be beneficial for women with MS.
Biography
Eden Dolling is a Master of Dietetics student at Curtin University. She has a BSc in Applied Human Nutrition from Glasgow Caledonian University, in Scotland. Eden’s interest in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) stemmed from her university research project investigating fish consumption and MS disease progression. She has undertaken further research, supported by a Curtin University Health Sciences Summer Research Scholarship, to continue the research in this area. With a lifelong love of food and a passion for translating complicated nutrition science into easy-to-understand information and guidance, Eden is excited to begin her career in Dietetics.