WASHINGTON, April 5 (UPI) - The Society for Women's Health Research, a Washington, D.C.-based, advocacy group, is urging women to consider eating more fish.

Research has shown fish is beneficial in treating cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis, mood disorders, diabetes and breast cancer - all of which affect women differently or more predominantly than men - Sherry Marts, a spokeswoman for the group, said Tuesday.

Fat-rich fish are also one of the few good food sources for vitamin D, which is needed for effective calcium absorption as part of a healthy bone regimen, the organization said.

"Heart disease kills 500,000 American women each year - over 50,000 more women than men - and strikes women, on average, 10 years later than men," Marts said. "Women are also more likely than men to have a second heart attack within a year of the first one.

"Omega-3 fatty acids found in some fish lower triglycerides, reduce abnormal heart rhythms, reduce blood pressure by small, but significant, amounts, and improve blood clotting. They may also boost the effectiveness of statins, which are widely prescribed to lower bad cholesterol levels, she said.