Abstract
The association between whole and refined grain consumption and stroke risk remains unclear. A search using MEDLINE and EMBASE databases was performed through February 29, 2016. Seven prospective studies with a total of 446 451 subjects and 5892 stroke events were included. The summary relative risk (SRR) of stroke for the high versus low consumption was 0.95 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.83-1.14) for total grains, 0.92 (95% CI = 0.72-1.17) for whole grains, and 0.99 (95% CI = 0.84-1.16) for refined grains. Diets rich in whole grains were inversely associated with ischemic stroke risk (SRR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.60-0.95). Our meta-analysis revealed that whole and refined grain consumption is not associated with total stroke risk; however, whole grain consumption is associated with reduced ischemic stroke risk.
