Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Red Meat Intake and the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

  • Published:
Current Cardiovascular Risk Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Despite a wealth of research on cholesterol and saturated fat and cardiovascular disease (CVD), few studies have examined the association between red meat and CVD. We review the epidemiologic data on the relation between red meat intake and CVD. From observational studies over the past 25 years, we conclude that both unprocessed and processed red meat increase the risk of coronary heart disease and that processed red meat likely confers a greater risk. Data on the relation of red meat with stroke is limited, but also suggests an increased risk. As dietary iron, added sodium, and compounds created during cooking may contribute to these associations, simply choosing lean red meats may not reduce the risk of CVD. Clinicians may consider recommending that patients decrease or eliminate red meat from their diet and replace it with healthier protein sources such as nuts, fish, poultry, or low-fat dairy products.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Lichtenstein, A.H., et al., Summary of American Heart Association Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations revision 2006. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol, 2006. 26(10): p. 2186-91.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, U.D.o.A. Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. [Cited 23 August 2010; Available from: http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/DGAs2010-DGACReport.htm.]

  3. Kris-Etherton, P.M., et al., Position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada: dietary fatty acids. J Am Diet Assoc, 2007. 107(9): p. 1599-611.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Ascherio, A., et al., Dietary iron intake and risk of coronary disease among men. Circulation, 1994. 89(3): p. 969-74.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Klipstein-Grobusch, K., et al., Dietary iron and risk of myocardial infarction in the Rotterdam Study. Am J Epidemiol, 1999. 149(5): p. 421-8.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Lee, D.H., A.R. Folsom, and D.R. Jacobs, Jr., Iron, zinc, and alcohol consumption and mortality from cardiovascular diseases: the Iowa Women's Health Study. Am J Clin Nutr, 2005. 81(4): p. 787-91.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Qi, L., et al., Heme iron from diet as a risk factor for coronary heart disease in women with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care, 2007. 30(1): p. 101-6.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. van der, A.D., et al., Dietary haem iron and coronary heart disease in women. Eur Heart J, 2005. 26(3): p. 257-62.

  9. Bibbins-Domingo, K., et al., Projected effect of dietary salt reductions on future cardiovascular disease. N Engl J Med. 362(7): p. 590-9.

  10. Smith-Spangler, C.M., et al., Population strategies to decrease sodium intake and the burden of cardiovascular disease: a cost-effectiveness analysis. Ann Intern Med. 152(8): p. 481-7, W170-3.

  11. Key, T.J., et al., Mortality in vegetarians and non-vegetarians: a collaborative analysis of 8300 deaths among 76,000 men and women in five prospective studies. Public Health Nutr, 1998. 1(1): p. 33-41.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Key, T.J., et al., Mortality in vegetarians and nonvegetarians: detailed findings from a collaborative analysis of 5 prospective studies. Am J Clin Nutr, 1999. 70(3 Suppl): p. 516 S-524 S.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Appleby, P.N., et al., Mortality in British vegetarians. Public Health Nutr, 2002. 5(1): p. 29-36.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Thorogood, M., et al., Risk of death from cancer and ischaemic heart disease in meat and non-meat eaters. BMJ, 1994. 308(6945): p. 1667-70.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. West, R.O. and O.B. Hayes, Diet and serum cholersterol levels. A comparision between vegetarians and nonvegetarians in a Seventh-day Adventist group. Am J Clin Nutr, 1968. 21(8): p. 853-62.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Snowdon, D.A., R.L. Phillips, and G.E. Fraser, Meat consumption and fatal ischemic heart disease. Prev Med, 1984. 13(5): p. 490-500.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Fraser, G.E., Diet and coronary heart disease: beyond dietary fats and low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol. Am J Clin Nutr, 1994. 59(5 Suppl): p. 1117 S-1123 S.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Fraser, G.E., Associations between diet and cancer, ischemic heart disease, and all-cause mortality in non-Hispanic white California Seventh-day Adventists. Am J Clin Nutr, 1999. 70(3 Suppl): p. 532 S-538 S.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Gramenzi, A., et al., Association between certain foods and risk of acute myocardial infarction in women. BMJ, 1990. 300(6727): p. 771-3.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Sinha, R., et al., Meat intake and mortality: a prospective study of over half a million people. Arch Intern Med, 2009. 169(6): p. 562-71.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Hu, F.B., et al., Dietary saturated fats and their food sources in relation to the risk of coronary heart disease in women. Am J Clin Nutr, 1999. 70(6): p. 1001-8.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Bernstein, A.M., et al., Major Dietary Protein Sources and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in Women. Circulation, 2010. 122(9): p. 876-83.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Micha, R., S.K. Wallace, and D. Mozaffarian, Red and processed meat consumption and risk of incident coronary heart disease, stroke, and diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Circulation, 2010. 121(21): p. 2271-83.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Malaviarachchi, D., et al., Dietary iron as a risk factor for myocardial infarction. Public health considerations for Nova Scotia. Can J Public Health, 2002. 93(4): p. 267-70.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Hu, F.B., et al., Dietary fat intake and the risk of coronary heart disease in women. N Engl J Med, 1997. 337(21): p. 1491-9.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Baranczewski, P., J.A. Gustafsson, and L. Moller, DNA adduct formation of 14 heterocyclic aromatic amines in mouse tissue after oral administration and characterization of the DNA adduct formed by 2-amino-9 H-pyrido[2,3-b]indole (AalphaC), analysed by 32P_HPLC. Biomarkers, 2004. 9(3): p. 243-57.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Hansen, E.S., International Commission for Protection Against Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens. ICPEMC Working Paper 7/1/2. Shared risk factors for cancer and atherosclerosis--a review of the epidemiological evidence. Mutat Res, 1990. 239(3): p. 163-79.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Kankova, K., Diabetic threesome (hyperglycaemia, renal function and nutrition) and advanced glycation end products: evidence for the multiple-hit agent? Proc Nutr Soc, 2008. 67(1): p. 60-74.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Santarelli, R.L., F. Pierre, and D.E. Corpet, Processed meat and colorectal cancer: a review of epidemiologic and experimental evidence. Nutr Cancer, 2008. 60(2): p. 131-44.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Spiteller, G., Peroxyl radicals are essential reagents in the oxidation steps of the Maillard reaction leading to generation of advanced glycation end products. Ann N Y Acad Sci, 2008. 1126: p. 128-33.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Wakabayashi, K., International Commission for Protection Against Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens. ICPEMC Working Paper 7/1/3. Animal studies suggesting involvement of mutagen/carcinogen exposure in atherosclerosis. Mutat Res, 1990. 239(3): p. 181-7.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Wu, K., et al., Meat mutagens and risk of distal colon adenoma in a cohort of U.S. men. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev, 2006. 15(6): p. 1120-5.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Gertig, D.M., et al., N-acetyl transferase 2 genotypes, meat intake and breast cancer risk. Int J Cancer, 1999. 80(1): p. 13-7.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Iron and Iron Deficiency. 2008; [Cited 28 October 2010; Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/vitamins/iron.html.]

  35. Wessling-Resnick, M., Biochemistry of iron uptake. Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol, 1999. 34(5): p. 285-314.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Disclosure

Adam M. Bernstein reports no potential conflict of interest relevant to this article. Walter C. Willett reports no potential conflict of interest relevant to this article.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Adam M. Bernstein & Walter C. Willett

  2. Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA

    Walter C. Willett

  3. Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Walter C. Willett

Authors
  1. Adam M. Bernstein
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Walter C. Willett
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Adam M. Bernstein.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bernstein, A.M., Willett, W.C. Red Meat Intake and the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease. Curr Cardiovasc Risk Rep 5, 145–148 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12170-010-0149-x

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12170-010-0149-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation