Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials of Red Meat Consumption in Comparison With Various Comparison Diets on Cardiovascular Risk Factors
Guasch-Ferré M, Satija A, Blondin SA, Janiszewski M, Emlen E, O'Connor LE, Campbell WW, Hu FB, Willett WC, Stampfer MJ
Circulation · 228 citations
Review labels
Neutral facts our review recorded about how this study was done. They describe method, never whether we like the result.
How it was studied
- Design
- Meta-analysis (indexed by PubMed)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
- Intake measured by
- Not stated
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Funding not disclosed
Publication
- Published
- 2019-04-08 · Circulation · vol. 139 · issue 15 · pp. 1828–1845
- Publisher
- Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
- Cited
- 307 citations · more than 94% of similar papers · 3.9× the field average
- Impact
- Top 10% most cited in its field
- References
- 77 works
- Access
- Paywalled
- Research areas
- Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact · Nutritional Studies and Diet · Nuts composition and effects
- Keywords
- Medicine, Randomized controlled trial, Consumption (sociology), Red meat, Environmental health, Food science, Internal medicine, Pathology
- MeSH
- humans, cardiovascular diseases, dietary carbohydrates, fish proteins, diet, risk factors, nutritive value, seafood, adult, aged, middle aged, female, male, randomized controlled trials as topic, young adult, protective factors, red meat, plant proteins, dietary, diet, healthy
10 authors
From US
- Marta Liu Guasch-FerréBrigham and Women's Hospital; Harvard University
- Ambika SatijaHarvard University
- Stacy A. BlondinHarvard University
- Marie JaniszewskiBrigham and Women's Hospital
- Ester EmlenBrigham and Women's Hospital
- Lauren E O’ConnorPurdue University West Lafayette
Abstract
Background
Findings among randomized controlled trials evaluating the effect of red meat on cardiovascular disease risk factors are inconsistent. We provide an updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials on red meat and cardiovascular risk factors and determine whether the relationship depends on the composition of the comparison diet, hypothesizing that plant sources would be relatively beneficial.
Methods
We conducted a systematic PubMed search of randomized controlled trials published up until July 2017 comparing diets with red meat with diets that replaced red meat with a variety of foods. We stratified comparison diets into high-quality plant protein sources (legumes, soy, nuts); chicken/poultry/fish; fish only; poultry only; mixed animal protein sources (including dairy); carbohydrates (low-quality refined grains and simple sugars, such as white bread, pasta, rice, cookies/biscuits); or usual diet. We performed random-effects meta-analyses comparing differences in changes of blood lipids, apolipoproteins, and blood pressure for all studies combined and stratified by specific comparison diets.
Results
Thirty-six studies totaling 1803 participants were included. There were no significant differences between red meat and all comparison diets combined for changes in blood concentrations of total, low-density lipoprotein, or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, apolipoproteins A1 and B, or blood pressure. Relative to the comparison diets combined, red meat resulted in lesser decreases in triglycerides (weighted mean difference [WMD], 0.065 mmol/L; 95% CI, 0.000-0.129; P for heterogeneity <0.01). When analyzed by specific comparison diets, relative to high-quality plant protein sources, red meat yielded lesser decreases in total cholesterol (WMD, 0.264 mmol/L; 95% CI, 0.144-0.383; P<0.001) and low-density lipoprotein (WMD, 0.198 mmol/L; 95% CI, 0.065-0.330; P=0.003). In comparison with fish, red meat yielded greater decreases in low-density lipoprotein (WMD, -0.173 mmol/L; 95% CI, -0.260 to -0.086; P<0.001) and high-density lipoprotein (WMD, -0.065 mmol/L; 95% CI, -0.109 to -0.020; P=0.004). In comparison with carbohydrates, red meat yielded greater decreases in triglycerides (WMD, -0.181 mmol/L; 95% CI, -0.349 to -0.013).
Conclusions
Inconsistencies regarding the effects of red meat on cardiovascular disease risk factors are attributable, in part, to the composition of the comparison diet. Substituting red meat with high-quality plant protein sources, but not with fish or low-quality carbohydrates, leads to more favorable changes in blood lipids and lipoproteins.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher.
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