Consuming Oily Fish Weekly Can Reduce the Risk of Diabetic Retinopathy

Consuming a daily dose of 500 mg of dietary long-chain ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCω3PUFAs) reduces the risk of diabetic retinopathy (DR), according to a new study from Spain.

Individuals can achieve this dosage by consuming 2 weekly servings of oily fish.

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To investigate the effect of LCω3PUFA intake on the risk of incident sight-threatening DR, the researchers conducted a prospective study the Prevención con Dieta Mediterránea (PREDIMED) trial.

They identified 3482 individuals aged 55 to 80 years with type 2 diabetes from 2003 to 2009. The PREDIMED trial was conducted in primary health care centers in Spain and tested Mediterranean diets vs a control diet in the prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Individuals completed food-frequency questionnaires to gauge their intake of dietary LCω3PUFA.

Of the 3482 participants, 2611 met the recommended daily intake of 500 mg of LCω3PUFA.

After 6 years, there were 69 new incidents of DR requiring laser photocoagulation, vitrectomy, and/or antiangiogenic therapy.

Further analysis showed that participants who consumed the recommended daily intake of LCω3PUFA (at baseline) had a 48% lower risk of incident DR than those who did not meet the recommended intake.

“In middle-aged and older individuals with type 2 diabetes, intake of at least 500 mg/d of dietary LCω3PUFA, easily achievable with 2 weekly servings of oily fish, is associated with a decreased risk of sight-threatening DR,” the researchers concluded. “Our results concur with findings from experimental models and the current model of DR pathogenesis.”

—Amanda Balbi

Reference:

Sala-Vila A, Díaz-López A, Valls-Pedret C, et al; Prevención con Dieta Mediterránea (PREDIMED) Investigators. Dietary marine ω-3 fatty acids and incident sight-threatening retinopathy in middle-aged and older individuals with type 2 diabetes: prospective investigation from the PREDIMED trial [published online August 18, 2016]. JAMA Ophthalmol. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2016.2906.