Dairy Consumption and Metabolic Syndrome: A meta‐analysis of observational studies

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IntroductionEmerging observational studies suggested that higher dairy consumption may reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome. However, there was no comprehensive review and meta‐analysis of dairy consumption and risk of metabolic syndrome.MethodTo provide a quantitative assessment of this association, we conducted a meta‐analysis of observational (cohort or cross‐sectional) studies published up to September 2014 through a search of MEDLINE databases and the reference lists of the retrieved articles. Information on participant characteristics, measurement of dairy consumption and outcomes, adjustment for potential confounders and estimates of associations was extracted.ResultsWe identified six cohort studies and eight cross‐sectional studies of dairy consumption and metabolic syndrome, including 58,444 participants, and calculated pooled relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using a random‐effects model. The pooled adjusted RR of cohort studies was 0.79 (95% CI, 0.68‐0.92) for the highest category of dairy consumption compared with the lowest dairy consumption category. The inverse associations did not differ substantially by geographical region and follow‐up times. No evidence of publication bias was found (Begg's and Egger's p‐values > 0.20). In the dose‐response meta‐analysis, the pooled adjusted RR for a 1 serving/day increment of dairy consumption was 0.86 (95% CI, 0.80‐0.93).The pooled adjusted RR of cross‐sectional studies was 0.73 (95% CI, 0.67‐0.81) for the highest category of dairy consumption compared with the lowest dairy consumption category.ConclusionOur findings suggest that greater dairy consumption is associated with a reduced risk of metabolic syndrome. (NRF‐2014R1A1A1002736).