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Egg consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease: three large prospective US cohort studies, systematic review, and updated meta-analysis.
Drouin-Chartier, JP, Chen, S, Li, Y, Schwab, AL, Stampfer, MJ, Sacks, FM, Rosner, B, Willett, WC, Hu, FB, Bhupathiraju, SN
BMJ (Clinical research ed.). 2020;368:m513
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Eggs have a high cholesterol content and have therefore been associated with a risk for heart disease. However, studies to substantiate this have been conflicting, with some studies showing associations and others not. This systematic review and meta-analysis of over five million people and 763 studies aimed to evaluate the association between egg intake and the risk of heart disease. The results showed that higher egg intake was associated with a poor diet. Egg intake was not associated with heart disease and this was evident even in people who ate at least one egg per day. Even in people with other associated diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, egg intake was not associated with heart disease. It was concluded that egg consumption does not increase an individual’s risk for heart disease. This study could be used by healthcare professionals to justify the recommendation that patients at risk of heart disease or those who have heart disease, can still eat up to one egg per day, without risk of exacerbating their condition.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the association between egg intake and cardiovascular disease risk among women and men in the United States, and to conduct a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. DESIGN Prospective cohort study, and a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. SETTING Nurses' Health Study (NHS, 1980-2012), NHS II (1991-2013), Health Professionals' Follow-Up Study (HPFS, 1986-2012). PARTICIPANTS Cohort analyses included 83 349 women from NHS, 90 214 women from NHS II, and 42 055 men from HPFS who were free of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer at baseline. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Incident cardiovascular disease, which included non-fatal myocardial infarction, fatal coronary heart disease, and stroke. RESULTS Over up to 32 years of follow-up (>5.54 million person years), 14 806 participants with incident cardiovascular disease were identified in the three cohorts. Participants with a higher egg intake had a higher body mass index, were less likely to be treated with statins, and consumed more red meats. Most people consumed between one and less than five eggs per week. In the pooled multivariable analysis, consumption of at least one egg per day was not associated with incident cardiovascular disease risk after adjustment for updated lifestyle and dietary factors associated with egg intake (hazard ratio for at least one egg per day v less than one egg per month 0.93, 95% confidence interval 0.82 to 1.05). In the updated meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies (33 risk estimates, 1 720 108 participants, 139 195 cardiovascular disease events), an increase of one egg per day was not associated with cardiovascular disease risk (pooled relative risk 0.98, 95% confidence interval 0.93 to 1.03, I2=62.3%). Results were similar for coronary heart disease (21 risk estimates, 1 411 261 participants, 59 713 coronary heart disease events; 0.96, 0.91 to 1.03, I2=38.2%), and stroke (22 risk estimates, 1 059 315 participants, 53 617 stroke events; 0.99, 0.91 to 1.07, I2=71.5%). In analyses stratified by geographical location (P for interaction=0.07), no association was found between egg consumption and cardiovascular disease risk among US cohorts (1.01, 0.96 to 1.06, I2=30.8%) or European cohorts (1.05, 0.92 to 1.19, I2=64.7%), but an inverse association was seen in Asian cohorts (0.92, 0.85 to 0.99, I2=44.8%). CONCLUSIONS Results from the three cohorts and from the updated meta-analysis show that moderate egg consumption (up to one egg per day) is not associated with cardiovascular disease risk overall, and is associated with potentially lower cardiovascular disease risk in Asian populations. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION PROSPERO CRD42019129650.
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Dietary and Policy Priorities for Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes, and Obesity: A Comprehensive Review.
Mozaffarian, D
Circulation. 2016;133(2):187-225
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Diet-related cardiometabolic conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes, pose a significant health and economic burden across the world. In recent years, scientific advances and research have generated enormous insights, yet there remain many controversies and unanswered questions. This extensive review summarizes recent evidence of key-dietary components and their impact on cardiometabolic health. Amongst the topics covered are dietary patterns, food quality and processing, genetics, personalized nutrition, supplements, functional foods and the existing knowledge on selected food groups such as carbohydrates, meat and fats alongside relevant vitamins, minerals and plant compounds. The author highlights how an oversimplified concept of nutrition from previous decades, has led to an array of conflicting advice and undermined the nuanced and complex impact that diet and nutrition can have on the body. Thus in light of the evidence, food-based interventions and dietary patterns are suggested as favourable, with less focus on dietary components in isolation. Throughout the paper, the need for adjunct support to facilitate sustainable health-promoting behaviour changes is recognized. Calling for additional measures to address behaviour change, health systems reforms, targeting socioeconomic inequalities, employing novel technologies, and adequate policymaking. This overview of recent evidence yields a comprehensive source of information, worthwhile reviewing when designing personalised diet plans in support of cardiometabolic health.
Abstract
Suboptimal nutrition is a leading cause of poor health. Nutrition and policy science have advanced rapidly, creating confusion yet also providing powerful opportunities to reduce the adverse health and economic impacts of poor diets. This review considers the history, new evidence, controversies, and corresponding lessons for modern dietary and policy priorities for cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and diabetes mellitus. Major identified themes include the importance of evaluating the full diversity of diet-related risk pathways, not only blood lipids or obesity; focusing on foods and overall diet patterns, rather than single isolated nutrients; recognizing the complex influences of different foods on long-term weight regulation, rather than simply counting calories; and characterizing and implementing evidence-based strategies, including policy approaches, for lifestyle change. Evidence-informed dietary priorities include increased fruits, nonstarchy vegetables, nuts, legumes, fish, vegetable oils, yogurt, and minimally processed whole grains; and fewer red meats, processed (eg, sodium-preserved) meats, and foods rich in refined grains, starch, added sugars, salt, and trans fat. More investigation is needed on the cardiometabolic effects of phenolics, dairy fat, probiotics, fermentation, coffee, tea, cocoa, eggs, specific vegetable and tropical oils, vitamin D, individual fatty acids, and diet-microbiome interactions. Little evidence to date supports the cardiometabolic relevance of other popular priorities: eg, local, organic, grass-fed, farmed/wild, or non-genetically modified. Evidence-based personalized nutrition appears to depend more on nongenetic characteristics (eg, physical activity, abdominal adiposity, gender, socioeconomic status, culture) than genetic factors. Food choices must be strongly supported by clinical behavior change efforts, health systems reforms, novel technologies, and robust policy strategies targeting economic incentives, schools and workplaces, neighborhood environments, and the food system. Scientific advances provide crucial new insights on optimal targets and best practices to reduce the burdens of diet-related cardiometabolic diseases.