title: Fruits and vegetables consumption and risk of stroke: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We conducted a meta-analysis to summarize evidence from prospective cohort studies about the association of fruits and vegetables consumption with the risk of stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pertinent studies were identified by a search of Embase and PubMed databases to January 2014. Study-specific relative risks with 95% confidence intervals were pooled using a random-effects model. Dose-response relationship was assessed by restricted cubic spline.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty prospective cohort studies were included, involving 16 981 stroke events among 760 629 participants. The multivariable relative risk (95% confidence intervals) of stroke for the highest versus lowest category of total fruits and vegetables consumption was 0.79 (0.75-0.84), and the effect was 0.77 (0.71-0.84) for fruits consumption and 0.86 (0.79-0.93) for vegetables consumption. Subgroup and meta-regression showed that the inverse association of total fruits and vegetables consumption with the risk of stroke was consistent in subgroup analysis. Citrus fruits, apples/pears, and leafy vegetables might contribute to the protection. The linear dose-response relationship showed that the risk of stroke decreased by 32% (0.68 [0.56-0.82]) and 11% (0.89 [0.81-0.98]) for every 200 g per day increment in fruits consumption (P for nonlinearity=0.77) and vegetables consumption (P for nonlinearity=0.62), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fruits and vegetables consumption are inversely associated with the risk of stroke.
authors.affiliation: From the Intensive Care Unit, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao, China (D.H., J.H., Y.Q.); Intensive Care Unit, Hiser Medical Center, Qingdao, China (Y.W.); and Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Medical College of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China (D.Z.).
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: From the Intensive Care Unit, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao, China (D.H., J.H., Y.Q.); Intensive Care Unit, Hiser Medical Center, Qingdao, China (Y.W.); and Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Medical College of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China (D.Z.).
authors.forename: Junqian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: From the Intensive Care Unit, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao, China (D.H., J.H., Y.Q.); Intensive Care Unit, Hiser Medical Center, Qingdao, China (Y.W.); and Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Medical College of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China (D.Z.).
authors.forename: Yuchun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: From the Intensive Care Unit, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao, China (D.H., J.H., Y.Q.); Intensive Care Unit, Hiser Medical Center, Qingdao, China (Y.W.); and Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Medical College of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China (D.Z.).
authors.forename: Dongfeng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: From the Intensive Care Unit, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao, China (D.H., J.H., Y.Q.); Intensive Care Unit, Hiser Medical Center, Qingdao, China (Y.W.); and Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Medical College of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China (D.Z.). Quyan1963qd@163.com.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qu
mesh_terms: D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014675:Vegetables
keywords: fruit; meta-analysis; stroke; vegetables