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Letters to the Editor
Letters (-300 words) discuss material published in Science in the previous 6 months or issues of general interest. They can be submitted through the Web (wvvw.submit2science.org) or by regular mail (1200 New York Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20005, USA). Letters are not acknowledged upon receipt, nor are authors generally consulted before publication. Whether published in full or in part, letters are subject to editing for clarity and space.
THE RECENT REPORT BY R. A. MITES ETAL. about toxic contaminants in salmon ("Global assessment of organic contaminants in farmed salmon," 9 Jan., p. 226) may have unintended negative consequences on human health. Yes, the source of toxic contaminants in farmed fish should be investigated and reduced as much as reasonably possible, but the proven health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids should not be overlooked.
The GISSI prevention trial (7) showed that consumption of 700 mg daily of omega-3 fatty acids from fish reduced total mortality by 20% in Italians with coronary artery disease (CAD). This corresponds to a number needed to treat (NNT) of 49 (95% confidence interval 30 to 175), indicating that one person with CAD avoids death when 49 people eat 21 g of omega-3 fatty acids monthly for 3.5 years. A monthly diet of 21 g of omega-3 fatty acids is present in ~1190 g (42 ounces) of salmon.
On the basis of U.S. Environmental Protection...