Plain language summary
Dairy products contain calcium and Vitamin D, two elements that are known to support bone health. The consumption of dairy products therefore, may affect the risk of bone fracture, however the research remains inconclusive. This meta-analysis examined and quantified the potential association between dairy consumption and the risk of hip fracture. The final analysis included 10 cohort studies and 8 case-control studies. After pooling the data from these studies, the researchers concluded that: • Consumption of yoghurt and cheese was associated with a lower risk of hip fracture • Consumption of total dairy products and cream was not significantly associated with the risk of hip fracture • There was insufficient evidence to deduce an association between milk consumption and the risk of hip fracture. 200g of milk per day may be beneficial however the effects of higher volumes were unclear.
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dairy product consumption may affect the risk of hip fracture, but previous studies have reported inconsistent findings. The primary aim of our meta-analysis was to examine and quantify the potential association of dairy product consumption with risk of hip fracture. METHODS We searched the databases of PubMed and EMBASE for relevant articles from their inception through April 17, 2017. The final analysis included 10 cohort studies and 8 case-control studies. Random-effects models were used to estimate the pooled risk. Subgroup and dose-response analyses were conducted to explore the relationships between the consumption of milk and the risk of hip fracture. RESULTS After pooling the data from the included studies, the summary relative risk (RR) for hip fracture for highest versus lowest consumption were 0.91 (95% CI: 0.74-1.12), 0.75 (95% CI: 0.66-0.86), 0.68 (95% CI: 0.61-0. 77), 1.02 (95% CI: 0.93-1.12) for milk, yogurt, cheese, and total dairy products in cohort studies, respectively. Higher milk consumption [Odds ratio (OR), 0.71, 95% CI: 0.55-0. 91] was associated with lower risk of hip fracture for highest versus lowest consumption in case-control studies. After quantifying the specific dose of milk, the summary RR/OR for an increased milk consumption of 200 g/day was 1.00 (95% CI: 0.94-1.07), and 0.89 (95%CI: 0.64-1.24) with significant heterogeneity for cohort and case-control studies, respectively; There was a nonlinear association between milk consumption and hip fracture risk in cohort, and case-control studies. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that consumption of yogurt and cheese was associated with lower risk of hip fracture in cohort studies. However, the consumption of total dairy products and cream was not significantly associated with the risk of hip fracture. There was insufficient evidence to deduce the association between milk consumption and risk of hip fracture. A lower threshold of 200 g/day milk intake may have beneficial effects, whereas the effects of a higher threshold of milk intake are unclear.
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