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Relationship between meat intake and the development of acute coronary syndromes: the CARDIO2000 case–control study

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 62, pages 171–177 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective:

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between meat consumption and the prevalence of a first, non-fatal event of an acute coronary syndrome (ACS), in a Greek sample.

Design:

Randomized, case–control study.

Setting:

Tertiary care.

Subjects:

A total of 848 out of 956 patients who had been randomly selected from hospitals with first event of an ACS and 1078 population-based controls, age and sex matched.

Interventions:

Detailed information regarding their medical records, alcohol intake, physical activity and smoking habits was recorded. Nutritional habits were evaluated with a semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression analysis estimated the odds ratio of having ACS by level of meat intake, after taking into account several confounders.

Results:

Patients consumed higher quantities of meat compared with controls (6.5±2.9 vs 4.9±2.1 portions per month, P<0.001). Food-specific analysis showed that red meat consumption was strongly associated with 52% increased odds of ACS (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.47–1.58). On the contrary, white meat consumption seems to be associated with only 18% likelihood of having cardiac events (95% CI 1.11–1.26). Participants who consumed >8 portions red meat and >12 portions white meat per month had 4.9 times and 3.7 higher odds of having ACS, respectively (P<0.001), compared with low meat intake (<4 portions and <8 portions per month, respectively).

Conclusions:

Increased red meat consumption showed a strong positive association with cardiac disease risk, whereas white meat consumption showed less prominent results, after controlling for several potential confounding factors.

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Acknowledgements

This study is supported by research grants from the Hellenic Heart Foundation (11/1999-2002). We thank the physicians and the specialists that coordinated the data collection of this study: Ê Tzioumis (Athens, Crete, Pelloponisos), J Skoumas (Athens), Í Papaioannou (Athens, Thessalia), P Stravopodis (Ionian Islands), L Karra (Aegean Islands), D Antoniades (Macedonia), G Rembelos (Aegean Islands), D Markou (Athens), A Moraiti (Athens), D Evagelou (Crete), S Vellas (Attica, Hpeirous), G Skoumbourdis (Sterea Hellas), B Meidanis (Macedonia, Sterea Hellas, Thessalia), S Loggos (Attica), É Elefsiniotis (Athens), N Marinakis (Aegean Islands), G Koutsimbanis (Thrace) and S Zombolos (Peloponnese).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition – Dietetics, Harokopio University, Athens, Greece

    M D Kontogianni & D B Panagiotakos

  2. Department of Cardiology, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Athens, Greece

    C Pitsavos, C Chrysohoou & C Stefanadis

Authors
  1. M D Kontogianni
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  2. D B Panagiotakos
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  3. C Pitsavos
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  4. C Chrysohoou
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  5. C Stefanadis
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to D B Panagiotakos.

Additional information

Guarantor: DB Panagiotakos.

Contributors: MDK wrote the paper; DBP principal investigator of the study, paper writing; CP critically reviewed the paper; CC investigator of the study; CF reviewed the paper.

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Kontogianni, M., Panagiotakos, D., Pitsavos, C. et al. Relationship between meat intake and the development of acute coronary syndromes: the CARDIO2000 case–control study. Eur J Clin Nutr 62, 171–177 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602713

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