Red and processed meat consumption and mortality: dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies
PubMed 26143683 · doi:10.1017/S1368980015002062
What was done
The authors conducted a systematic review and dose-response random-effects meta-analysis searching MEDLINE, Embase, ISI Web of Knowledge, CINAHL, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and reference lists through November 30, 2014, with no language restrictions. They included prospective cohort studies that reported relative risk estimates for all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cancer mortality across intake categories of red and/or processed meat.
What was found
Across 9 articles containing 17 prospective cohorts with 150,328 total deaths: - Processed meat intake showed a non-linear relationship with all-cause and CVD mortality, but not cancer mortality. - An increase of 1 serving/day of processed meat was associated with pooled relative risks (RRs) of 1.15 (95% CI 1.11, 1.19; 5 studies; P < 0.001) for all-cause mortality, 1.15 (95% CI 1.07, 1.24; 6 studies; P < 0.001) for CVD mortality, and 1.08 (95% CI 1.06, 1.11; 5 studies; P < 0.001) for cancer mortality. - Similar associations were observed for total meat intake. - Unprocessed red meat intake was associated with increased mortality risk in US populations, but no significant association was detected in European or Asian populations.
Why it matters
This study provides quantitative evidence that processed meat consumption is linked to higher mortality across multiple major causes, while demonstrating that unprocessed red meat associations differ substantially by geographic region.
Limits
All included data are observational and subject to residual confounding from unmeasured lifestyle and dietary factors. Total baseline cohort sample size and specific serving sizes across heterogeneous study definitions were not reported in the abstract. Regional differences for unprocessed red meat could reflect differing baseline dietary patterns, preparation methods, or residual confounding.
Cited by
- supports Epidemiological evidence shows that red meat consumption, particularly processed red meat, is associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes and decreased life expectancy.