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Chocolate consumption and risk of stroke: a prospective cohort of men and meta-analysis

Susanna C Larsson1, Jarmo Virtamo, Alicja Wolk

  • 1Division of Nutritional Epidemiology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. susanna.larsson@ki.se

Neurology
|August 31, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Moderate chocolate consumption may reduce stroke risk. A study of 37,103 men and a meta-analysis of 5 studies found that higher chocolate intake was linked to a lower risk of stroke.

Area of Science:

  • Nutritional Epidemiology
  • Cardiovascular Disease Research

Background:

  • Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide.
  • Dietary factors, including chocolate consumption, are being investigated for their potential role in stroke prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the association between chocolate consumption and stroke risk in a large cohort of men.
  • To synthesize existing evidence on chocolate and stroke risk through a meta-analysis.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective cohort study of 37,103 Swedish men with assessment of chocolate intake via food-frequency questionnaire.
  • Ascertainment of incident stroke cases from the Swedish Hospital Discharge Registry.
  • Meta-analysis of 5 prospective studies including 4,260 stroke cases, using random-effects modeling.

Main Results:

  • High chocolate consumption (median 62.9 g/week) was associated with a 17% lower risk of stroke (Relative Risk: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.70-0.99) compared to no consumption.
  • The association was consistent across stroke subtypes.
  • Meta-analysis of 5 studies confirmed a reduced stroke risk (Relative Risk: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.73-0.90) with higher chocolate consumption, showing no significant heterogeneity.

Conclusions:

  • Findings suggest that moderate chocolate consumption may be associated with a reduced risk of stroke in men.
  • Further research may elucidate the specific mechanisms underlying this protective association.
Abstract

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