Egg Consumption and Coronary Artery Disease: A Nice Knockdown Argument

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular epidemiology
• Nutritional science
• Public health

Background:

• Coronary artery disease (CAD) remains a leading cause of mortality worldwide.
• The role of dietary factors, such as egg consumption, in cardiovascular health is a subject of ongoing research.
• Previous studies have yielded conflicting results regarding the association between egg intake and CAD risk.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies to investigate the association between egg consumption and the incidence and mortality of coronary artery disease (CAD).
• To pool data from eligible studies to determine a comprehensive estimate of the risk associated with varying levels of egg consumption.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was performed on PubMed and Web of Science databases up to June 2019.
• Included were prospective cohort studies enrolling adults and examining the association between egg consumption and CAD incidence/mortality.
• Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) were extracted and pooled using a random-effects model.

Main Results:

• Sixteen eligible studies with 1,285,505 participants were included in the meta-analysis.
• Overall, egg consumption was associated with a significantly lower incidence/mortality of CAD (pooled HR: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.89-0.98).
• Specific analyses indicated that the fifth versus first quintile of egg consumption showed a significant association with reduced CAD incidence/mortality.

Conclusions:

• Egg consumption is independently associated with a lower incidence and mortality of coronary artery disease.
• The protective association may be most evident when comparing higher levels of consumption (e.g., fifth quintile) to the lowest levels (first quintile).
• These findings contribute to understanding the role of dietary patterns in cardiovascular disease prevention.