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Meta-Analysis
. 2023 Jan 29;20(3):2403.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph20032403.

Adherence to Mediterranean Diet and Risk of Pancreatic Cancer: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Daniele Nucci  1 , Mariateresa Nardi  1 , Andrea Cinnirella  2 , Emanuela Campagnoli  2 , Manuel Maffeo  2 , Pier Mario Perrone  2 , Viktoriia Shishmintseva  2 , Francesca Maria Grosso  2 , Ambra Castrofino  2 , Silvana Castaldi  2   3 , Luisa Romanò  2 , Vincenza Gianfredi  2
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Adherence to Mediterranean Diet and Risk of Pancreatic Cancer: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Daniele Nucci et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Pancreatic cancer (PC) represents the 6th cause of cancer death. Although the aetiology of PC is not completely understood, numerous risk factors have been identified in association with this cancer, among them diet. However, little is known about the association between the Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) and the risk of PC. For this reason, we conducted a systematic review with meta-analysis according to the PRISMA guidelines, searching on three databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and EMBASE). The protocol was registered in PROSPERO. Both fixed and random effect models were performed. The Effect size was reported as a hazard ratio (HR) with a 95% Confidence Interval (CI). A total of eight articles were included. The methodological quality of the included meta-analyses was high. Our results show that a higher adherence to the MedDiet is associated with a lower risk of PC [HR:0.82 (0.76-0.88) p < 0.001, based on 1,301,320 subjects]. The results were also confirmed in sensitivity and subgroups analyses (avoidance of potential overlapping effects, type of tools used to assess dietary intake and the diagnosis of PC, prevalence and incidence of PC risk, country where the studies took place, sex, and cancer site). Promoting a higher adherence to the MedDiet could be an effective approach to reduce the risk of PC.

Keywords: Mediterranean diet; diet; meta-analysis; pancreas; pancreatic cancer; systematic review.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA flow diagram reporting the selection process.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Forest plot (a) and Funnel plot (b) using the random effect model of the main analysis. The white dots represent the included studies. The white diamond represents the calculated Effect size. The black dots represent the estimated studies after the trim and fill method. The black diamond represents the estimated ES after the trim and fill method. M, F: males and females; M: males, F: females. ES: Effect size, 95% CI: 95% Confidence Interval.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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