Egg and Dietary Cholesterol Intake and Risk of All-Cause, Cardiovascular, and Cancer Mortality: A Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies.

Joseph Beyene, Manije Darooghegi Mofrad, Sina Naghshi, Keyhan Lotfi, Elina Hypponen, Aliyar Pirouzi, Omid Sadeghi

Journal: Frontiers in nutrition 2022;9():878979

PMID: 35711545

Plain Language Summary

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Eggs are a rich source of vitamins, carotenoids, and dietary cholesterol. However, dietary cholesterol may contribute to an imbalance in blood lipid levels, increasing the risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer. Therefore, this systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis evaluated the impact of egg and dietary cholesterol on the risk of CVD, cancer, and all-cause mortality. This systematic review and meta-analysis included fifty-five prospective cohort studies. This research showed a positive association between egg and dietary cholesterol consumption with all-cause mortality and cancer mortality. However, daily consumption of up to 1.5 eggs or 450 mg of dietary cholesterol did not affect the mortality risk. Further robust studies are required due to the high heterogeneity between the included studies. Nevertheless, healthcare professionals can use the results of this research to understand the impact of egg and dietary cholesterol consumption on CVD, cancer and all-cause mortality.

Abstract

[{"label":"OBJECTIVE","text":"This systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies examined the associations between egg and dietary cholesterol intake and the risk of mortality from all causes, including cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer."},{"label":"METHODS","text":"We searched PubMed, Scopus, ISI Web of Knowledge, and Google Scholar until April 2021, as well as references to the relevant articles retrieved. Random-effects models were used to calculate summary relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the highest vs. lowest categories of egg and dietary cholesterol intake. Also, linear and non-linear dose-response analyses were conducted to examine the dose-response relationships."},{"label":"RESULTS","text":"We included 55 studies, comprising data from 2,772,486 individuals with 228,425, 71,745, and 67,211 cases of all-cause, CVD, and cancer mortality, respectively. Intake of each additional egg per day was associated with a 7% higher risk of all-cause (1.07, 95% CI: 1.02-1.12, I = 84.8%) and a 13% higher risk of cancer mortality (1.13, 95% CI: 1.06-1.20, I = 54.2%), but was not associated with CVD mortality (1.00, 95% CI: 0.92-1.09, I = 81.5%). Non-linear analyses showed increased risks for egg consumption of more than 1.5 and 0.5 eggs\/day, respectively. Each 100 mg\/day increment in dietary cholesterol intake was associated with a 6% higher risk of all-cause mortality (1.06, 95% CI: 1.03-1.08, I = 34.5%) and a 6% higher risk of cancer mortality (1.06, 95% CI: 1.05-1.07, I = 0%), but was not associated with CVD mortality (1.04, 95% CI: 0.99-1.10, I = 85.9%). Non-linear analyses demonstrated elevated risks of CVD and cancer mortality for intakes more than 450 and 250 mg\/day, respectively."},{"label":"CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE","text":"High-dietary intake of eggs and cholesterol was associated with all-cause and cancer mortality. Little evidence for elevated risks was seen for intakes below 0.5 egg\/day or 250 mg\/day of dietary cholesterol. Our findings should be considered with caution because of small risk estimates and moderate between-study heterogeneity."},{"label":"SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION","text":"https:\/\/www.crd.york.ac.uk\/prospero\/display_record.php?RecordID=252564, PROSPERO, identifier: CRD42021252564."},{"copyright":"Copyright \u00a9 2022 Darooghegi Mofrad, Naghshi, Lotfi, Beyene, Hypponen, Pirouzi and Sadeghi."}]
Address: Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutritional Science and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.; Department of Clinical Nutrition, School of Nutritional Science and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.; Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.; Chanchlani Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.; Australian Centre for Precision Health, Unit of Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia.; South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA, Australia.; Cellular and Molecular Department, Gerash University of Medical Sciences, Gerash, Iran.; Food Security Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.; Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutrition and Food Science, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
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