title: Association between meat consumption and carotid intima-media thickness in Korean adults with metabolic syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The effect of meat consumption on cardiometabolic risk has been continuously studied, but their associations are not conclusive. The aim of this study is to examine the association between the consumption of meat or red meat and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in healthy Korean adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study evaluated 2374 community-dwelling adults (933 men and 1441 women) who were free of cardiovascular disease or cancer, living in a rural area in Korea. Total meat and red meat intakes were assessed with a validated 103 item-food frequency questionnaire. Carotid IMT was evaluated ultrasonographically, IMTmax was defined as the highest value among IMT of bilateral common carotid arteries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After adjustment for potential confounding factors, the mean IMTmax tended to increase in higher meat consumption groups in both men and women with metabolic syndrome (p for trend= 0.027 and 0.049, respectively), but not in participants without metabolic syndrome. Frequent meat consumption (≥5 servings/week) was significantly associated with higher IMTmax in men with metabolic syndrome (by 0.08 mm, p=0.015). Whereas, the association was not significant in women (by 0.05 mm, p=0.115). Similar but attenuated findings were shown with red meat intake.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that a higher meat consumption may be associated with a higher carotid IMT in Korean adults with metabolic syndrome. The frequent meat consumption (≥5 servings/week), compared with the others, was associated with a higher carotid IMTmax only in men with metabolic syndrome. Further research is required to explore optimal meat consumption in people with specific medical conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Korea.
authors.forename: Sun Min
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Hyeon Chang
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Song Vogue
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Hye Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.forename: Il
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Suh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000009:adverse effects*; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012307:Risk Factors; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D014463:Ultrasonography