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Meta-Analysis
. 2023 Sep 22;15(19):4103.
doi: 10.3390/nu15194103.

Association of Vegetarian and Vegan Diets with Cardiovascular Health: An Umbrella Review of Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies and Randomized Trials

Honoria Ocagli  1 , Giacomo Berti  1 , Davide Rango  1 , Federica Norbiato  1 , Maria Vittoria Chiaruttini  1 , Giulia Lorenzoni  1 , Dario Gregori  1
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Association of Vegetarian and Vegan Diets with Cardiovascular Health: An Umbrella Review of Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies and Randomized Trials

Honoria Ocagli et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are leading global causes of mortality. Unhealthy diets have been linked to an increased risk of CVD, while plant-based diets have shown potential protective effects. This umbrella review summarizes the evidence on the association between vegetarian diets and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

Methods: PubMed, Scopus, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane, and Web of Science were consulted. Meta-analyses grouped by author and outcome were performed. The heterogeneity was evaluated using I2 statistics.

Results: There was a 41.2% risk reduction for cerebrovascular disease. CVD incidence had a 29% reduced risk. CVD mortality had a 13.8% risk reduction, while IHD incidence had a 24.1% reduction, but with high heterogeneity. IHD mortality showed a significant 32.1% risk reduction. Ischemic stroke had a significant 32.9% risk reduction across six studies. Stroke incidence showed a significant 39.1% risk reduction in a single study. There was a non-significant 11.6% risk reduction for stroke mortality with moderate heterogeneity.

Conclusion: Healthier diets are associated with reduced risks of cerebrovascular disease, CVD incidence, IHD mortality, and ischemic stroke. However, evidence quality and consistency vary, emphasizing the need for more research. Policymakers and healthcare professionals should prioritize promoting healthy diets for CVD prevention.

Keywords: cardiovascular outcomes; cerebrovascular disease; umbrella review; vegetarian diets.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA Flow Diagram of the study selection process.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Forest plot of all non-overlapping meta-analyses of included studies.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Summary of the strength of evidence for the evaluated health outcomes. Evidence class: Class I, convincing; Class II, highly suggestive; Class III, suggestive; Class IV, weak; NS, no evidence. The number reported refers to the number of studies considered.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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