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A meta-analysis of 13 prospective studies involving 1,427,989 participants found that higher consumption of unprocessed red meat and processed meat was associated with a 9% and 18% increased risk of ischemic heart disease, respectively, while poultry intake showed no significant association.

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is the primary global cause of morbidity and mortality, claiming over nine million lives in 2016. The hypothesis suggests that excessive meat consumption contributes to IHD risk due to its abundant saturated fat and sodium content. Research indicates that saturated fat elevates low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc), while high sodium intake increases blood pressure—both established IHD risk factors (Clarke et al. 1997; Rosendorff et al. 2015). This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the link between meat consumption and ischemic heart disease (IHD) risk.

Data from 13 prospective studies, involving 1,427,989 participants and 32,630 IHD cases, were analysed.

Key findings:

• Unprocessed red meat consumption is associated with a 9% increased IHD risk per 50g/day.
• Processed meat intake is linked to an 18% higher IHD risk.
• No significant association was found between poultry intake and IHD risk.

Details:

• The study addressed the uncertainty surrounding the impact of meat consumption on IHD risk, encompassing both unprocessed red and processed meats, as well as poultry intake.
• A comprehensive search included databases like CAB Abstract, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, bioRxiv, and medRxiv, along with references from selected studies and prior systematic reviews, up to June 4, 2021.
• Thirteen published articles met the criteria, involving a substantial cohort of 1,427,989 participants and 32,630 IHD cases.
• Findings revealed that each additional 50g/day of unprocessed red meat consumption corresponded to a 9% relative risk increase for IHD, while processed meat intake was associated with an 18% higher IHD risk.
• Importantly, poultry intake showed no significant association with IHD risk in this analysis.

In summary, the study provides strong evidence supporting the notion that unprocessed red and processed meats may elevate the risk of IHD, while poultry consumption appears to have no significant impact on this risk.

Source: Papier K, Knuppel A, Syam N, Jebb SA, Key TJ. Meat consumption and risk of ischemic heart disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. 2023 Jan 25;63(3):426-37.

Reference Link:

1. Taylor & Francis Online