Effect of dietary pulse intake on established therapeutic lipid targets for cardiovascular risk reduction: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
BACKGROUND
Evidence from controlled trials encourages the intake of dietary pulses (beans, chickpeas, lentils and peas) as a method of improving dyslipidemia, but heart health guidelines have stopped short of ascribing specific benefits to this type of intervention or have graded the beneficial evidence as low. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to assess the effect of dietary pulse intake on established therapeutic lipid targets for cardiovascular risk reduction.


METHODS
We searched electronic databases and bibliographies of selected trials for relevant articles published through Feb. 5, 2014. We included RCTs of at least 3 weeks' duration that compared a diet emphasizing dietary pulse intake with an isocaloric diet that did not include dietary pulses. The lipid targets investigated were low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, apolipoprotein B and non-high-density lipoprotein (non-HDL) cholesterol. We pooled data using a random-effects model.


RESULTS
We identified 26 RCTs (n = 1037) that satisfied the inclusion criteria. Diets emphasizing dietary pulse intake at a median dose of 130 g/d (about 1 serving daily) significantly lowered LDL cholesterol levels compared with the control diets (mean difference -0.17 mmol/L, 95% confidence interval -0.25 to -0.09 mmol/L). Treatment effects on apolipoprotein B and non-HDL cholesterol were not observed.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that dietary pulse intake significantly reduces LDL cholesterol levels. Trials of longer duration and higher quality are needed to verify these results.


BACKGROUND
ClinicalTrials.gov, no. NCT01594567.
Vanessa
V
Ha
John L
JL
Sievenpiper
Russell J
RJ
de Souza
Viranda H
VH
Jayalath
Arash
A
Mirrahimi
Arnav
A
Agarwal
Laura
L
Chiavaroli
Sonia Blanco
SB
Mejia
Frank M
FM
Sacks
Marco
M
Di Buono
Adam M
AM
Bernstein
Lawrence A
LA
Leiter
Penny M
PM
Kris-Etherton
Vladimir
V
Vuksan
Richard P
RP
Bazinet
Robert G
RG
Josse
Joseph
J
Beyene
Cyril W C
CW
Kendall
David J A
DJ
Jenkins
D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood*; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D018752:Diet, Fat-Restricted / Q000379:methods; D059305:Diet, High-Fat / Q000379:methods; D004038:Diet, Reducing / Q000379:methods*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D008055:Lipids