1.
Chocolate Consumption and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease, Stroke, and Diabetes: A Meta-Analysis of Prospective Studies.
Yuan, S, Li, X, Jin, Y, Lu, J
Nutrients. 2017;(7)
Abstract
Although epidemiological studies have examined the role of chocolate in preventing cardiometabolic disease, the results remain inconsistent. Herein, we conducted a meta-analysis of prospective studies to determine the association between chocolate intake and risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, and diabetes. A systematical search in PubMed and Embase through March 2017, together with reference scrutiny of relevant literatures, was performed to identify eligible studies. Relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled using random effect models. Fourteen prospective studies of primary prevention with 508,705 participants were finally included, with follow-up durations ranging from 5 to 16 years. The summary RRs for the highest versus lowest chocolate consumption were 0.90 (95% CI: 0.82-0.97; n = 6) for CHD, 0.84 (95% CI: 0.78-0.90; n = 7) for stroke, and 0.82 (95% CI: 0.70-0.96; n = 5) for diabetes. Dose-response meta-analysis suggested a nonlinear association of chocolate consumption with all outcomes. For both CHD and stroke, there was little additional risk reduction when consuming chocolate ≥3 servings/week (one serving was defined as 30 g of chocolate). For diabetes, the peak protective effect of chocolate emerged at 2 servings/week (RR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.63-0.89), with no benefit observed when increasing consumption above 6 servings/week. In conclusion, chocolate intake is associated with decreased risks of CHD, stroke, and diabetes. Consuming chocolate in moderation (≤6 servings/week) may be optimal for preventing these disorders.
2.
AGT gene polymorphisms (M235T, T174M) are associated with coronary heart disease in a Chinese population.
Li, X, Li, Q, Wang, Y, Li, Y, Ye, M, Ren, J, Wang, Z
Journal of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system : JRAAS. 2013;(4):354-9
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The angiotensinogen (AGT) gene has been shown to be involved in the development of coronary heart disease (CHD). However, the results have been inconsistent. In this study, the authors performed a meta-analysis to clarify the associations between AGT polymorphisms and CHD risk among the Chinese population. METHODS Published literature from PubMed, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Wanfang Data were searched. Pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using a fixed- or random-effects model. RESULTS Fourteen studies (2540 cases and 2173 controls) for M235T polymorphism and five studies (655 cases and 815 controls) for T174M polymorphism were included in the meta-analyses. The results showed that M235T polymorphism was significantly associated with CHD risk under a recessive model (OR=1.65, 95% CI 1.22-2.25). There was also significant association between T174M polymorphism and CHD risk under a homogeneous co-dominant model (OR= 4.20, 95% CI 1.90-9.29) and a recessive model (OR=4.15, 95% CI 1.88-9.15). Further sensitivity analyses confirmed the significant association. CONCLUSIONS The meta-analyses indicated the significant associations of two AGT polymorphisms (M235T, T174M) with CHD risk in the Chinese population.