title: Dairy consumption and 10-y total and cardiovascular mortality: a prospective cohort study in the Netherlands.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The consumption of dairy products (milk, cheese, and butter) has been positively associated with the risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD), stroke, and total mortality because of the saturated fat content of these products; and protective effects against these outcomes have been attributed to the calcium content and low-fat choices of dairy products. However, robust evidence on the net effect of dairy product consumption on mortality is limited.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective was to investigate the association between dairy product consumption and the risk of death (from all causes, IHD, and stroke) in the Netherlands Cohort Study (NLCS).
  
  
  METHODS
  The NLCS was initiated in 120,852 men and women aged 55-69 y at baseline in 1986. After 10 y of follow-up, 16,136 subjects with complete dietary information had died. Twenty-nine percent (men) and 22% (women) of these deaths were due to IHD or stroke. The validated 150-item food-frequency questionnaire provided detailed information on dairy products.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Multivariate survival analyses following a case-cohort approach showed only a few statistically significant, but mostly weak, associations. A slightly increased risk of all-cause and IHD mortality was found for both butter and dairy fat intake (per 10 g/d; rate ratio(mortality): 1.04; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.06) only in women. Fermented full-fat milk was inversely associated with all-cause and nonsignificantly with stroke mortality in both sexes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The role of dairy product consumption in mortality generally appeared to be neutral in men. In women, dairy fat intake was associated with slightly increased all-cause and IHD mortality. More research is warranted on a possible protective effect of fermented milk on stroke mortality.
authors.affiliation: TNO Quality of Life, Department of Prevention and Health Care, Leiden, the Netherlands. sandra.bausch@tno.nl
authors.forename: R Alexandra
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Goldbohm
authors.forename: Astrid M J
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Chorus
authors.forename: Francisca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Galindo Garre
authors.forename: Leo J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Schouten
authors.forename: Piet A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: van den Brandt
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002136:Calcium, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality* / Q000517:prevention & control; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003611:Dairy Products / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D004041:Dietary Fats