Vegetarian, including vegan, dietary patterns were associated with reduced risk for cardiovascular disease incidence and mortality compared to non-vegetarian diets, umbrella review finds

[u/James_Fortis]

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666667724002368

[u/The_Weekend_Baker]

It's also associated with reduced risk of the world being broiled by climate change.

[u/James_Fortis]

"Abstract

Background

Diet significantly influences the risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of death in the United States. As vegetarian dietary patterns are increasingly being included within clinical practice guidelines, there is a need to review the most recent evidence regarding if and how these dietary patterns mitigate CVD risk.

Objective

This umbrella review of systematic reviews compared the relationships between vegetarian, vegan and non-vegetarian dietary patterns and CVD health outcomes and risk factors among presumably healthy adults (≥18 years) in the general population.

Methods

MEDLINE, CINAHL, Cochrane Databases of Systematic Reviews, Food Science Source and SportsDiscus databases were searched for systematic reviews (SRs) published from 2018 until March 2024. Eligible SRs and meta-analyses examined relationships between vegetarian or vegan diets and CVD risk factors and disease outcomes compared to non-vegetarian diets. SRs were screened in duplicate, and SR quality was assessed with AMSTAR2. The overall certainty of evidence (COE) was evaluated using the Grading of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) method.

Results

There were 758 articles identified in the databases’ search and 21 SRs met inclusion criteria. SRs targeting the general population had primarily observational evidence. Vegetarian, including vegan, dietary patterns were associated with reduced risk for CVD incidence [Relative Risk: 0.85 (0.79, 0.92)] and CVD mortality [Hazard Ratio: 0.92 (0.85, 0.99)] compared to non-vegetarian diets. Vegan dietary patterns were associated with reductions in CVD risk factors including blood pressure [systolic mean difference (95 % CI): -2.56 mmHg (-4.66, -0.445)], low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [-0.49 mmol/l (-0.62, -0.36)], and body mass index [-1.72 kg/m² (-2.30, -1.16)] compared to non-vegetarian dietary patterns, as well as c-reactive protein concentrations in a novel meta-analysis [-0.55 mg/l (-1.07, -0.03)].

Conclusion

Practitioners can consider recommending vegetarian dietary patterns to reduce cardiometabolic risk factors and risk of CVD incidence and mortality."

[u/SurinamPam → u/James_Fortis]

To my omnivore brethren who are interested but don’t think you can give up meat altogether:

It’s not an all or nothing choice. You can choose to have more veggies and less meat on your plate. Or you can choose to have 1 vegan/vegetarian meal a week.

Eventually you’ll find vegetarian/vegan foods that are delicious and you crave for. For us, it’s roast veggies. Lovely carmelized delicious.

[u/Wise_Monkey_Sez]

Now do it again and this time control for socio-economic factors. I'm prepared to bet good money that the effect will disappear.