title: Rice consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease: results from a pooled analysis of 3 U.S. cohorts.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Health concerns have been raised about rice consumption, which may significantly contribute to arsenic exposure. However, little is known regarding whether habitual rice consumption is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We examined prospectively the association of white rice and brown rice consumption with CVD risk.
  
  
  METHODS
  We followed a total of 207,556 women and men [73,228 women from the Nurses' Health Study (1984-2010), 92,158 women from the Nurses' Health Study II (1991-2011), and 42,170 men from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (1986-2010)] who were free of CVD and cancer at baseline. Validated semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaires were used to assess consumption of white rice, brown rice, and other food items. Fatal and nonfatal CVD (coronary artery disease and stroke) was confirmed by medical records or self-reports.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During 4,393,130 person-years of follow-up, 12,391 cases of CVD were identified. After adjustment for major CVD risk factors, including demographics, lifestyle, and other dietary intakes, rice consumption was not associated with CVD risk. The multivariable-adjuted HR of developing CVD comparing ≥5 servings/wk with <1 serving/wk was 0.98 (95% CI: 0.84, 1.14) for white rice, 1.01 (0.79, 1.28) for brown rice, and 0.99 (0.90, 1.08) for total rice. To minimize the potential impact of racial difference in rice consumption, we restricted the analyses to whites only and obtained similar results: the HRs of CVD for ≥5 servings/wk compared with <1 serving/wk were 1.04 (95% CI: 0.88, 1.22) for white rice and 1.01 (0.78, 1.31) for brown rice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Greater habitual consumption of white rice or brown rice is not associated with CVD risk. These findings suggest that rice consumption may not pose a significant CVD risk among the U.S. population when consumed at current amounts. More prospective studies are needed to explore these associations in other populations.
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Nutrition (IM, HW, EBR, FBH, WCW, and QS), Epidemiology (FL, EBR, FBH, and WCW), and Environmental Health (FL), Harvard School of Public Health and Channing Division of Network Medicine (FL, EBR, FBH, WCW, and QS), Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, and the Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit, Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, United Kingdom (FI).
authors.forename: Isao
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Muraki
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Nutrition (IM, HW, EBR, FBH, WCW, and QS), Epidemiology (FL, EBR, FBH, and WCW), and Environmental Health (FL), Harvard School of Public Health and Channing Division of Network Medicine (FL, EBR, FBH, WCW, and QS), Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, and the Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit, Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, United Kingdom (FI).
authors.forename: Hongyu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Nutrition (IM, HW, EBR, FBH, WCW, and QS), Epidemiology (FL, EBR, FBH, and WCW), and Environmental Health (FL), Harvard School of Public Health and Channing Division of Network Medicine (FL, EBR, FBH, WCW, and QS), Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, and the Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit, Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, United Kingdom (FI).
authors.forename: Fumiaki
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Imamura
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Nutrition (IM, HW, EBR, FBH, WCW, and QS), Epidemiology (FL, EBR, FBH, and WCW), and Environmental Health (FL), Harvard School of Public Health and Channing Division of Network Medicine (FL, EBR, FBH, WCW, and QS), Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, and the Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit, Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, United Kingdom (FI).
authors.forename: Francine
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Laden
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Nutrition (IM, HW, EBR, FBH, WCW, and QS), Epidemiology (FL, EBR, FBH, and WCW), and Environmental Health (FL), Harvard School of Public Health and Channing Division of Network Medicine (FL, EBR, FBH, WCW, and QS), Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, and the Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit, Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, United Kingdom (FI).
authors.forename: Eric B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Rimm
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Nutrition (IM, HW, EBR, FBH, WCW, and QS), Epidemiology (FL, EBR, FBH, and WCW), and Environmental Health (FL), Harvard School of Public Health and Channing Division of Network Medicine (FL, EBR, FBH, WCW, and QS), Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, and the Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit, Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, United Kingdom (FI).
authors.forename: Frank B
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Nutrition (IM, HW, EBR, FBH, WCW, and QS), Epidemiology (FL, EBR, FBH, and WCW), and Environmental Health (FL), Harvard School of Public Health and Channing Division of Network Medicine (FL, EBR, FBH, WCW, and QS), Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, and the Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit, Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, United Kingdom (FI).
authors.forename: Walter C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Willett
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Nutrition (IM, HW, EBR, FBH, WCW, and QS), Epidemiology (FL, EBR, FBH, and WCW), and Environmental Health (FL), Harvard School of Public Health and Channing Division of Network Medicine (FL, EBR, FBH, WCW, and QS), Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, and the Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit, Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, United Kingdom (FI).
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination; D005511:Food Handling; D038321:Glycemic Index; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012275:Oryza / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000737:chemistry; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012639:Seeds / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000737:chemistry; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People
keywords: cardiovascular disease; coronary artery disease; longitudinal study; rice; stroke