Lignan intake and risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies

Abstract

We conducted a meta-analysis of 12 prospective cohort studies to further illuminate the associations of lignan intake with risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Compared with the lowest intake, the highest intake of lignans was correlated with a decreased incidence of CVD (relative risk [RR]: 0.85, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.80–0.90) and T2DM (RR: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.68–0.99). The benefits of lignan intake in CVD prevention were consistent across subgroups. In dose-response analysis, the RR for every 500-μg/d increment in lignan intake was 0.83 (95% CI: 0.74–0.92) for CVD and 0.96 (95% CI: 0.95–0.98) for T2DM. Moreover, a curvilinear dose-response pattern was observed for both CVD (p for nonlinearity < 0.001) and T2DM (p for nonlinearity < 0.001) in relation to lignan intake. These results indicated that higher lignan intake may be associated, in a dose-dependent manner, with a lower risk of CVD and T2DM.

Keywords:

• Lignan
• cardiovascular disease
• type 2 diabetes mellitus
• meta-analysis
• prevention

Author contribution

CQ conceived and designed the study; MX and YC performed the study and analysed the data; WL contributed materials and analysis tools; MX wrote the paper, with key intellectual contents revised by CQ and WL. All authors have read and approved the final version of manuscript.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the grant from Doctoral Research Initiation Fund of Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University (No. 19071).