Abstract
BackgroundThere is emerging evidence for a beneficial effect of meat consumption on the musculoskeletal system. However, whether it affects the risk of knee and hip osteoarthritis is unknown. We performed a prospective cohort study to examine the relationship between meat consumption and risk of primary hip and knee replacement for osteoarthritis.MethodsEligible 35,331 participants were selected from the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study recruited during 1990-1994. Consumption of fresh red meat, processed meat, chicken, and fish was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. Primary hip and knee replacement for osteoarthritis during 2001-2005 was determined by linking the cohort records to the Australian National Joint Replacement Registry.ResultsThere was a negative dose-response relationship between fresh red meat consumption and the risk of hip replacement (hazard ratio (HR) 0.94 per increase in intake of one time/week, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.89-0.98). In contrast, there was no association with knee replacement risk (HR 0.98, 95% CI 0.94-1.02). Consumption of processed meat, chicken and fish were not associated with risk of hip or knee replacement.ConclusionA high level consumption of fresh red meat was associated with a decreased risk of hip, but not knee, joint replacement for osteoarthritis. One possible mechanism to explain these differential associations may be via an effect of meat intake on bone strength and hip shape. Further confirmatory studies are warranted.
Highlights
There is emerging evidence for a beneficial effect of meat consumption on the musculoskeletal system
Over an average of 4.8 (SD 0.7) years of follow-up per person (2001-5), 888 participants were identified with incident primary joint replacement for OA including 411 hip replacements and 477 knee replacements
There was no statistical evidence that country of birth, gender, or educational level modified the associations between meat consumption and the risk of hip or knee replacement (P value for effect modification ranged from 0.11 to 0.92). In this prospective cohort study, we found that a high level consumption of fresh red meat was associated with a decreased risk of hip, but not knee joint replacement for OA
Summary
There is emerging evidence for a beneficial effect of meat consumption on the musculoskeletal system Whether it affects the risk of knee and hip osteoarthritis is unknown. Whilst the consumption of red meat is often recommended for its iron content [1], there is emerging evidence that red meat and processed meat are associated with carcinogenesis at several anatomic sites and increased mortality [2,3,4,5]. The mechanisms for these adverse effects are various but have been related to the constituent nutrients of red meat and methods of processing and cooking. It is unknown whether meat consumption may affect the risk of OA, and the existing evidence is conflicting
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