Meta-analysis — Halo Research Library

Red and processed meat consumption and mortality: dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohorts

Moderate

Processed meat intake Confounding risk Meta-analysis Observational evidence

Meta-analysis

~15% higher all-cause mortality per 1 serving/day increase in meta-analysis; highest vs lowest ~23% higher

Causal status: Association

Reliability / bias notes: Dietary measurement error; healthy-pattern confounding; substitution effects

Wang et al. · 2016 · PMID 26143683

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Resting heart rate and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality: meta-analysis

Moderate–strong predictor

Resting Heart rate Meta-analysis Observational evidence

Meta-analysis

~9% higher mortality per +10 bpm in meta-analysis; UK Biobank ~19–22% higher per +10 bpm

Causal status: Association

Reliability / bias notes: Fitness, medications, illness, autonomic tone; measurement noise

Zhang et al · CMAJ · 2016 · PMID 26598376

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Gamma-glutamyltransferase is associated with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies

Moderate

Liver Function (GGT)Meta-analysis Observational evidence

Meta-analysis

Highest vs lowest GGT quartile associated with 56% higher all-cause mortality (pooled RR 1.56, 95% CI 1.34–1.83) across 7 prospective cohorts, 273,141 participants

Causal status: Associational; proposed independent of alcohol intake but mechanism as a general oxidative-stress/liver marker not fully causal

Reliability / bias notes: GGT is nonspecific (affected by alcohol, medications, fatty liver); Asian subgroup result not significant

Du et al · Prev Med · 2013 · PMID 23571185

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C-reactive protein concentration and risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and mortality: an individual participant meta-analysis

Strong

C-reactive protein (CRP)Confounding risk Meta-analysis Observational evidence

Meta-analysis

Each 3-fold (1-SD) higher log-CRP associated with 1.55x non-vascular mortality (95% CI 1.41–1.69) and similar magnitude for vascular mortality, in an individual-participant meta-analysis of 160,309 people across 54 studies

Causal status: Causal role debated; CRP likely partly a marker of underlying inflammation/disease rather than a direct cause

Reliability / bias notes: Association attenuates but persists after adjusting for conventional risk factors and fibrinogen; residual confounding by subclinical illness possible

Emerging Risk Factors Collaboration (Kaptoge et al) · Lancet · 2010 · PMID 20031199

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