Purpose of Review
Dairy products contain both beneficial and harmful nutrients in relation to cardiometabolic diseases. Here, we provide the latest scientific evidence regarding the relationship ...between dairy products and cardiometabolic diseases by reviewing the literature and updating meta-analyses of observational studies.
Recent Findings
We updated our previous meta-analyses of cohort studies on type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease (CHD), and stroke with nine studies and confirmed previous results. Total dairy and low-fat dairy (per 200 g/d) were inversely associated with a 3–4% lower risk of diabetes. Yogurt was non-linearly inversely associated with diabetes (RR = 0.86, 95% CI: 0.83–0.90 at 80 g/d). Total dairy and milk were not associated with CHD (RR~1.0). An increment of 200 g of daily milk intake was associated with an 8% lower risk of stroke.
Summary
The latest scientific evidence confirmed neutral or beneficial associations between dairy products and risk of cardiometabolic diseases.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OBVAL, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Background
A higher milk consumption may be associated with a lower stroke risk. We conducted a comprehensive systematic review and dose–response meta‐analysis of milk and other dairy products in ...relation to stroke risk.
Methods and Results
Through a systematic literature search, prospective cohort studies of dairy foods and incident stroke in stroke‐free adults were identified. Random‐effects meta‐analyses with summarized dose–response data were performed, taking into account sources of heterogeneity, and spline models were used to systematically investigate nonlinearity of the associations. We included 18 studies with 8 to 26 years of follow‐up that included 762 414 individuals and 29 943 stroke events. An increment of 200 g of daily milk intake was associated with a 7% lower risk of stroke (relative risk 0.93; 95% CI 0.88–0.98; P=0.004; I2=86%). Relative risks were 0.82 (95% CI 0.75–0.90) in East Asian and 0.98 (95% CI 0.95–1.01) in Western countries (median intakes 38 and 266 g/day, respectively) with less but still considerable heterogeneity within the continents. Cheese intake was marginally inversely associated with stroke risk (relative risk 0.97; 95% CI 0.94–1.01 per 40 g/day). Risk reductions were maximal around 125 g/day for milk and from 25 g/day onwards for cheese. Based on a limited number of studies, high‐fat milk was directly associated with stroke risk. No associations were found for yogurt, butter, or total dairy.
Conclusions
Milk and cheese consumption were inversely associated with stroke risk. Results should be placed in the context of the observed heterogeneity. Future epidemiological studies should provide more details about dairy types, including fat content. In addition, the role of dairy in Asian populations deserves further attention.
Nuts and vegetable oils are important sources of fat and of a wide variety of micronutrients and phytochemicals. Following their intake, several of their constituents, as well as their derived ...metabolites, are found in blood circulation and in urine. As a consequence, these could be used to assess the compliance to a dietary intervention or to determine habitual intake of nuts and vegetable oils. However, before these metabolites can be widely used as biomarkers of food intake (BFIs), several characteristics have to be considered, including specificity, dose response, time response, stability, and analytical performance. We have, therefore, conducted an extensive literature search to evaluate current knowledge about potential BFIs of nuts and vegetable oils. Once identified, the strengths and weaknesses of the most promising candidate BFIs have been summarized. Results from selected studies have provided a variety of compounds mainly derived from the fatty fraction of these foods, but also other components and derived metabolites related to their nutritional composition. In particular, α-linolenic acid, urolithins, and 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid seem to be the most plausible candidate BFIs for walnuts, whereas for almonds they could be α-tocopherol and some catechin-derived metabolites. Similarly, several studies have reported a strong association between selenium levels and consumption of Brazil nuts. Intake of vegetable oils has been mainly assessed through the measurement of specific fatty acids in different blood fractions, such as oleic acid for olive oil, α-linolenic acid for flaxseed (linseed) and rapeseed (canola) oils, and linoleic acid for sunflower oil. Additionally, hydroxytyrosol and its metabolites were the most promising distinctive BFIs for (extra) virgin olive oil. However, most of these components lack sufficient specificity to serve as BFIs. Therefore, additional studies are necessary to discover new candidate BFIs, as well as to further evaluate the specificity, sensitivity, dose-response relationships, and reproducibility of these candidate biomarkers and to eventually validate them in other populations. For the discovery of new candidate BFIs, an untargeted metabolomics approach may be the most effective strategy, whereas for increasing the specificity of the evaluation of food consumption, this could be a combination of different metabolites.
A growing number of cohort studies suggest a potential role of dairy consumption in type 2 diabetes (T2D) prevention. The strength of this association and the amount of dairy needed is not clear.
We ...performed a meta-analysis to quantify the associations of incident T2D with dairy foods at different levels of intake.
A systematic literature search of the PubMed, Scopus, and Embase databases (from inception to 14 April 2015) was supplemented by hand searches of reference lists and correspondence with authors of prior studies. Included were prospective cohort studies that examined the association between dairy and incident T2D in healthy adults. Data were extracted with the use of a predefined protocol, with double data-entry and study quality assessments. Random-effects meta-analyses with summarized dose-response data were performed for total, low-fat, and high-fat dairy, (types of) milk, (types of) fermented dairy, cream, ice cream, and sherbet. Nonlinear associations were investigated, with data modeled with the use of spline knots and visualized via spaghetti plots.
The analysis included 22 cohort studies comprised of 579,832 individuals and 43,118 T2D cases. Total dairy was inversely associated with T2D risk (RR: 0.97 per 200-g/d increment; 95% CI: 0.95, 1.00;P= 0.04;I(2)= 66%), with a suggestive but similar linear inverse association noted for low-fat dairy (RR: 0.96 per 200 g/d; 95% CI: 0.92, 1.00;P= 0.072;I(2)= 68%). Nonlinear inverse associations were found for yogurt intake (at 80 g/d, RR: 0.86 compared with 0 g/d; 95% CI: 0.83, 0.90;P< 0.001;I(2)= 73%) and ice cream intake (at ∼10 g/d, RR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.78, 0.85;P< 0.001;I(2)= 86%), but no added incremental benefits were found at a higher intake. Other dairy types were not associated with T2D risk.
This dose-response meta-analysis of observational studies suggests a possible role for dairy foods, particularly yogurt, in the prevention of T2D. Results should be considered in the context of the observed heterogeneity.
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CMK, GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is highly prevalent among older post-myocardial infarction (MI) patients. It is not known whether CKD is an independent risk factor for mortality in older post-MI ...patients with optimal cardiovascular drug-treatment. Therefore, we studied the relation between kidney function and all-cause and specific mortality among older post-MI patients, without severe heart failure, who are treated with state-of-the-art pharmacotherapy. From 2002-2006, 4,561 Dutch post-MI patients were enrolled and followed until death or January 2012. We estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) with cystatin C (cysC) and creatinine (cr) using the CKD-EPI equations and analyzed the relation with any and major causes of death using Cox models and restricted cubic splines. Mean (SD) for age was 69 years (5.6), 79% were men, 17% smoked, 21% had diabetes, 90% used antihypertensive drugs, 98% used antithrombotic drugs and 85% used statins. Patients were divided into four categories of baseline eGFRcysC: ≥90 (33%; reference), 60-89 (47%), 30-59 (18%), and <30 (2%) ml/min/1.73m2. Median follow-up was 6.4 years. During follow-up, 873 (19%) patients died: 370 (42%) from cardiovascular causes, 309 (35%) from cancer, and 194 (22%) from other causes. After adjustment for age, sex and classic cardiovascular risk factor, hazard ratios (95%-confidence intervals) for any death according to the four eGFRcysC categories were: 1 (reference), 1.4 (1.1-1.7), 2.9 (2.3-3.6) and 4.4 (3.0-6.4). The hazard ratios of all-cause and cause-specific mortality increased linearly below kidney functions of 80 ml/min/1.73 m2. Weaker results were obtained for eGFRcr. To conclude, we found in optimal cardiovascular drug-treated post-MI patients an inverse graded relation between kidney function and mortality for both cardiovascular as well as non-cardiovascular causes. Risk of mortality increased linearly below kidney function of about 80 ml/min/1.73 m2.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Little is known about dietary scores and mortality risk in cardiac patients who are well treated with drugs with attendant relatively low risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs).
We assessed whether ...healthy eating lowers the risk of CVD and all-cause mortality in cardiac patients.
We included 4307 patients from the Alpha Omega Trial aged 60-80 y with a clinically diagnosed myocardial infarction and monitored mortality for 10 y. Diet was assessed at baseline (2002-2006) with a validated 203-item food-frequency questionnaire. We created 2 dietary scores on the basis of nonoverlapping sets of foods: the Dutch Healthy Nutrient and Food Score (DHNaFS) and the Dutch Undesirable Nutrient and Food Score (DUNaFS). The associations of both dietary scores with CVD and all-cause mortality were assessed by using multivariable-adjusted Cox regression models.
The median time after myocardial infarction at baseline was 3.7 y (IQR: 1.7-6.3 y). During a median of 6.5 y of follow-up (IQR: 5.3-7.6 y), 801 patients died; 342 of those died of CVD. One patient was lost to follow-up. A substantially higher average amount of DHNaFS foods (∼1750 g/d) than DUNaFS foods (∼650 g/d) was consumed. Almost all patients received drug treatment: 86% used statins, 90% used antihypertensive medication, and 98% used antithrombotic medication. Patients in the fifth quintile of the DHNaFS had a 30% (HR: 0.70; 95% CI: 0.55, 0.91) lower CVD risk and a 32% (HR: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.47, 0.99) lower all-cause mortality risk than did patients in the first quintile. The DUNaFS was unrelated to both CVD and all-cause mortality.
Beyond state-of-the-art drug treatment, healthy eating was associated with a lower risk of CVD and all-cause mortality in cardiac patients. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00127452.
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CMK, GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Replacement of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) with unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs), especially polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), has been associated with a lower risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD). ...Whether this replacement is beneficial for drug-treated patients with cardiac disease is not yet clear.
In a prospective study of Dutch patients with cardiac disease (Alpha Omega Cohort), we examined the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and IHD mortality when the sum of SFAs and trans fatty acids (TFAs) was theoretically replaced by total UFAs, PUFAs, or cis monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs).
We included 4146 state-of-the-art drug-treated patients aged 60–80 y with a history of myocardial infarction (79% male patients) and reliable dietary data at baseline (2002–2006). Cause-specific mortality was monitored until 1 January 2013. HRs for CVD mortality and IHD mortality for theoretical, isocaloric replacement of dietary fatty acids (FAs) in quintiles (1–5) and continuously (per 5% of energy) were obtained from Cox regression models, adjusting for demographic factors, medication use, and lifestyle and dietary factors.
Patients consumed, on average, 17.5% of energy of total UFAs, 13.0% of energy of SFAs, and <1% of energy of TFAs. During ∼7 y of follow-up, 372 CVD deaths and 249 IHD deaths occurred. Substitution modeling yielded significantly lower risks of CVD mortality when replacing SFAs plus TFAs with total UFAs HR in quintile 5 compared with quintile 1: 0.45 (95% CI: 0.28, 0.72) or PUFAs HR: 0.66 (95% CI: 0.44, 0.98), whereas HRs in cis MUFA quintiles were nonsignificant. HRs were similar for IHD mortality. In continuous analyses, replacement of SFAs plus TFAs with total UFAs, PUFAs, or cis MUFAs (per 5% of energy) was associated with significantly lower risks of CVD mortality (HRs between 0.68 and 0.75) and IHD mortality (HRs between 0.55 and 0.70).
Shifting the FA composition of the diet toward a higher proportion of UFAs may lower CVD mortality risk in drug-treated patients with cardiac disease. This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03192410.
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CMK, GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Whether older adults need more protein than younger adults is debated. The population reference intake for adults set by the European Food Safety Authority is 0.83 g/kg body weight (BW)/d based ...primarily on nitrogen balance studies, but the underlying data on health outcomes are outdated. An expert committee of the Health Council of the Netherlands conducted a systematic review (SR) of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining the effect of increased protein intake on health outcomes in older adults from the general population with an average habitual protein intake ≥0.8 g/(kg BW · d). Exposures were the following: 1) extra protein compared with no protein and 2) extra protein and physical exercise compared with physical exercise. Outcomes included lean body mass, muscle strength, physical performance, bone health, blood pressure, serum glucose and insulin, serum lipids, kidney function, and cognition. Data of >1300 subjects from 18 RCTs were used. Risk of bias was judged as high (n = 9) or “some concerns” (n = 9). In 7 of 18 RCTs, increased protein intake beneficially affected ≥1 of the tested outcome measures of lean body mass. For muscle strength, this applied to 3 of 8 RCTs in the context of physical exercise and in 1 of 7 RCTs without physical exercise. For the other outcomes, <30% (0–29%) of RCTs showed a statistically significant effect. The committee concluded that increased protein intake has a possible beneficial effect on lean body mass and, when combined with physical exercise, muscle strength; likely no effect on muscle strength when not combined with physical exercise, or on physical performance and bone health; an ambiguous effect on serum lipids; and that too few RCTs were available to allow for conclusions on the other outcomes. This SR provides insufficiently convincing data that increasing protein in older adults with a protein intake ≥0.8 g/(kg BW · d) elicits health benefits.
Statement of Significance: This systematic review provides a comprehensive, transparent, and up-to-date overview of randomized controlled trials that explicitly focus on potential health effects of protein intakes above the nitrogen-balance studies-based population reference intake of 0.8 g/(kg BW · d) in older adults from the general population. This review also serves as an additional source of evidence for deriving a recommended protein intake for older adults.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Young people, whose brains are still developing, might entail a greater vulnerability to the effects of alcohol consumption on brain function and development. A committee of experts of the Health ...Council of the Netherlands evaluated the state of scientific knowledge regarding the question whether alcohol negatively influences brain development in young people. A systematic literature search for prospective studies was performed in PubMed and PsychINFO, for longitudinal studies of adolescents or young adults ranging between 12 and 24 y of age at baseline, investigating the relation between alcohol use and outcome measures of brain structure and activity, cognitive functioning, educational achievement, or alcohol use disorder (AUD), with measures at baseline and follow-up of the outcome of interest. Data were extracted from original articles and study quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. A total of 77 studies were included, 31 of which were of sufficient quality in relation to the study objectives. There were indications that the gray matter of the brain develops abnormally in young people who drink alcohol. In addition, the more often young people drink or the younger they start, the higher the risk of developing AUD later in life. The evidence on white matter volume or quality, brain activity, cognitive function, and educational achievement is still limited or unclear. The committee found indications that alcohol consumption can have a negative effect on brain development in adolescents and young adults and entails a risk of later AUD. The committee therefore considers it a wise choice for adolescents and young adults not to drink alcohol.
Alcohol consumption may have a negative effect on brain development in adolescents and young adults and entails a risk of later alcohol use disorder: a systematic review of prospective studies.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Background Weekly fish consumption has been related to a lower risk of fatal coronary heart disease (CHD) and incident stroke in populations with a low fish intake. This relation has mainly been ...attributed to n-3 fatty acids in fish, that is, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). It is at present unclear whether α -linolenic acid (ALA), a n-3 fatty acid from vegetable origin, could also be protective against cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). There is a need for food-based trials to establish the efficacy of low doses of n-3 fatty acids in CVD prevention. Objectives The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of an additional daily intake of 400 mg of EPA + DHA and 2 g of ALA on CVD morbidity and mortality in free-living subjects with a history of myocardial infarction. Design The multicenter Alpha Omega Trial is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with a 2 × 2 factorial design. Between May 2002 and December 2006, we enrolled a total of 4,837 men and women aged 60 through 80 who experienced a myocardial infarction within 10 years before entering the study. Subjects were randomized to 1 of 4 margarine spreads that were enriched with EPA + DHA and/or ALA, or placebo. Compliance was monitored via tub counts and assessment of n-3 fatty acids in plasma. Subjects were observed for 40 months for the occurrence of fatal and nonfatal CVD. Results The cohort was on average 69 years old at the start of the study and comprised 22% women. Subjects had their (last) myocardial infarction approximately 4 years before enrolment. Mean body mass index was 27.7 kg/m2 , and 17% smoked. Average serum total and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were 4.7 and 1.3 mmol/L, respectively, and 85% used statins. Mean blood pressure was 142/80 mm Hg, and most subjects were on antihypertensive medication (88%). Diabetes mellitus was reported by 17% of the subjects, and 7% reported a history of stroke. The overall mortality rate during the trial period was 23 per 1,000 person-years, with approximately 40% due to CVD. Current status Follow-up of the patients was completed in November 2009, and findings will be reported in the second part of 2010.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK