The association between meat intake and the risk of coronary heart disease in Korean men using the Framingham risk score: A prospective cohort study

Abstract

Background and aims: Research suggests that meat intake may increase the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), but most studies take place in Western countries, where the types and amount of meat products consumed differ from those in Asian countries. We aimed to identify the association between meat intake and CHD risk in Korean male adults, using the Framingham risk score. Methods and results: We used data from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES) Health Examinees (HEXA) study, including 13,293 Korean male adults. We estimated the association of meat intake with ≥20% 10-year CHD risk using Cox proportional hazards regression models to calculate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Subjects with the highest total meat intake had a 53% (model 4: HR 1.53, 95% CI 1.05–2.21) increased 10-year CHD risk compared to those with the lowest intake. Those with the highest red meat intake had a 55% (model 3: HR 1.55, 95% CI 1.16–2.06) increased 10-year CHD risk compared to those with the lowest intake. No association was observed between poultry or processed meat intake and 10-year CHD risk. Conclusions: Consumption of total meat and red meat was associated with a higher risk of CHD in Korean male adults. Further studies are needed to provide criteria for the appropriate meat intake by meat type to reduce CHD risk. © 2023 The Italian Diabetes Society, the Italian Society for the Study of Atherosclerosis, the Italian Society of Human Nutrition and the Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Federico II University