Abstract
The background for this study is as follows: 1) A negative correlation has been found between fish intake and the onset of myocardial infarction. 2) Effects of fish consumption on the cardio-metabolic risk factors (cardio-metabolic risk: atherosclerosis-inducing risk factors caused by visceral obesity, such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, abnormal glucose tolerance, and metabolic syndrome) remain largely unknown. 3) It has been suggested that dietary fish consumption may be associated with improvement of the overall lifestyle and reduction of the cardio-metabolic risk. Based on this background, we attempted to reveal the effects of fish intake on the cardio-metabolic risk from various standpoints in subjects undergoing health checkup, using two study methods (cross-sectional and longitudinal studies), and evaluate the preventative effects of fish consumption on atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Once the effect of fish consumption on the cardio-metabolic risk is clearly demonstrated, diet therapy, especially proactive fish consumption, could be widely adopted. Furthermore, enriching the awareness of society about the importance of diet modification to prevent cerebro-cardiovascular diseases would lead to progress in the fields of preventive medicine. In this paper, we introduce the scientific background for this study, our study hypothesis, and the study protocol of this study. This is a report of the study design and rational for this study.
