Abstract
PurposeLimited studies have examined red meat consumption in relation to risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and none have examined the impact of long-term diet on COPD risk. We sought to investigate the association between long-term red meat consumption and risk of COPD.MethodsThe population-based prospective Swedish Mammography Cohort included 34,053 women, aged 48–83 years, followed for the current analyses from 2002 to 2014. Unprocessed and processed red meat consumption was assessed with a self-administered questionnaire in 1987 and 1997. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).ResultsOver a mean follow-up of 11.6 years (2002–2014; 393,831 person-years), 1488 COPD cases were ascertained via linkage to the Swedish health registers. A positive association between long-term processed red meat (average from 1987 to 1997) and risk of COPD was observed. In contrast, no association was observed with unprocessed red meat with corresponding HRs of 1.36 (95% CI 1.03–1.79) for processed and 0.87 (95% CI 0.74–1.02) for unprocessed red meat among women who consumed ≥ 50 g/day compared to < 25 g/day. The observed association with processed meat was confined to ex-smokers (P for interaction = 0.30); women consuming of ≥ 50 g/day of processed meat had a 2.3-fold (95% CI 1.24–4.12) higher risk of COPD than those consuming < 25 g/day. No similar associations were observed among current or never smokers.ConclusionIn this prospective cohort of women with moderate red meat consumption, long-term processed red meat consumption was associated with an increased risk of COPD particularly among ex-smokers.
Highlights
According to World Health Organization chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is estimated to be the third leading cause of death worldwide [1]
The results of recent systematic reviews [2] and metaanalyses indicate that high consumption of red meat and/ or processed red meat is associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality [3] as well as major chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease [4], stroke [5], some cancers [6, 7], and diabetes [8]
Two previous prospective studies have examined baseline processed red meat consumption in relation to COPD [9, 10], and only one study has assessed the association both unprocessed as well as processed meat [11]. Results of these studies indicated that baseline processed [9,10,11] but not unprocessed [11] red meat consumption may be associated with risk of COPD among smokers
Summary
According to World Health Organization chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is estimated to be the third leading cause of death worldwide [1]. Two previous prospective studies have examined baseline processed red meat consumption in relation to COPD [9, 10], and only one study has assessed the association both unprocessed as well as processed meat [11]. Results of these studies indicated that baseline processed [9,10,11] but not unprocessed [11] red meat consumption may be associated with risk of COPD among smokers. In the large population-based prospective Swedish Mammography Cohort we evaluated the associations between long-term red meat consumption, separately for unprocessed and processed red meat, with COPD incidence in women, and assessed whether smoking status, the main predictor of COPD, modified the association
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