Meta-analysisindependent cross-checkabstract only checked I-DRY-15 standard review
Cheese eaters had slightly fewer heart attacks and strokes
Cheese consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease: a meta-analysis of prospective studies.
Overview
Chen GC et al.. Eur J Nutr 2017 · PMID 27517544 · DOI 10.1007/s00394-016-1292-z
High vs low cheese: CVD RR 0.90.
Does the study support the specific claim? Unclear · Methodological quality: moderate
Plain-language summary
Study explained simply
- What did the researchers want to find out?
Cheese and CVD.
- How was the study done?
Meta-analysis.
- How many people, animals or samples were studied?
15 studies.
- What was actually found?
Inverse association.
- How large was the observed effect?
RR 0.90 (0.82-0.99).
- What do the results mean in everyday life?
Cheese not linked to heart harm.
- What are the study's limitations?
Observational.
- What does it say about Elawady's specific claim?
Neutral to the system's split.
- Do the results apply to Germany and Europe?
Moderate.
- What can explicitly not be concluded from this study?
Causation.
Scientific in-depth review
1. Full reference
- Authors
- Chen GC et al.
- Journal
- Eur J Nutr
- Year
- 2017
- Identifier
- PMID 27517544 DOI 10.1007/s00394-016-1292-z
- Verification
- verified – PubMed efetch 2026-10-25
- Retracted
- no
- Corrections
ErratumIn: Eur J Nutr. 2019 Mar;58(2):907. doi: 10.1007/s00394-018-1884-x.
- Extent checked
- abstract only
- Conflicts of interest and funding
not stated in abstract
2. Research question
Cheese consumption and CVD, CHD, stroke.
3. Study design and population
- Study design
- Meta-analysis – Meta-analysis of prospective studies.
- Population
Adults in 15 prospective studies
- Country
Multinational
- Period
Not stated
- Sample size
15 studies
- Inclusion and exclusion criteria
Prospective studies; most excluded baseline CVD.
4. Methods and endpoints
- Exposure / intervention
Cheese
- Comparator
Low intake
- Endpoints
Total CVD, CHD, stroke.
- Statistical methods
Random effects; restricted cubic splines.
5. Actual results
- Results
High vs low cheese: CVD RR 0.90 (0.82-0.99), CHD 0.86 (0.77-0.96), stroke 0.90 (0.84-0.97); largest reductions around 40 g/day.
- Absolute risks
not reported
- Authors' conclusion
Nonlinear inverse association between cheese and CVD.
6. Strengths
- Prospective studies
7. Weaknesses
- Observational
- Erratum published
8. Risk of bias
- Orienting tool
- AMSTAR 2
- Type of assessment
- simplified assessment (abstract only)
- Full formal assessment
- no
- Overall risk of bias
- some concerns
- Rationale
Abstract-level judgement.
9. Assessment of the statistical interpretation
Modest inverse associations.
10. Relevance to the specific claim
Context for C-DRY-11 (cheese not harmful for CVD); does not justify forbidding other dairy.
11. Independent contrary findings
n/a
12. Transferability to Germany and Europe
Moderate.
13. Overall methodological judgement
Cheese not associated with higher CVD.
| Multidimensional assessment | |
|---|---|
| Authenticity of the source | verified |
| Methodological quality | moderate |
| Risk of bias | some concerns |
| Precision of results | moderate |
| Directness | direct |
| Reproducibility | partly replicated |
| Consistency with the overall evidence | mixed |
| Regional transferability | moderate |
| Adequacy of the interpretation (by the archive) | not applicable |
14. Open questions
Salt content of cheeses.