Meta-analysisindependent cross-checkabstract checked I-GRN-120 standard review

Potatoes overall were not linked to heart disease; fried potatoes slightly to high blood pressure

Potato Consumption and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in a Harmonized Analysis of Seven Prospective Cohorts.

Overview

Djousse L et al.. Nutrients 2025 · PMID 39940309 · DOI 10.3390/nu17030451

In seven cohorts, total potato intake was not associated with CVD; fried potatoes 1+ times a week were linked to 10% higher hypertension risk.

Does the study support the specific claim? Partly · Methodological quality: moderate

Study explained simply

What did the researchers want to find out?: Potatoes and CVD/hypertension.
How was the study done?: Pooled cohort analysis.
How many people, animals or samples were studied?: 110,063 adults.
What was actually found?: No CVD link; fried potato and hypertension.
How large was the observed effect?: HR 1.10 for hypertension.
What do the results mean in everyday life?: Boiled potatoes are fine; limit fried.
What are the study's limitations?: Industry-linked grant.
What does it say about Elawady's specific claim?: Partly supports, partly contradicts the claim.
Do the results apply to Germany and Europe?: Moderate.
What can explicitly not be concluded from this study?: Cannot prove causation.

Authors: Djousse L et al.
Journal: Nutrients
Year: 2025
Identifier: PMID 39940309 DOI 10.3390/nu17030451 · PMC11820226
Verification: verified – PubMed efetch 2026-10-26; Crossref works API 2026-10-26
Retracted: no
Corrections: none
Extent checked: abstract only
Conflicts of interest and funding: First author received an investigator-initiated grant from the Alliance for Potato Research and Education; sponsor had no role (PubMed record).

Is potato consumption associated with CVD and hypertension?

Study design: Meta-analysis – Harmonised meta-analysis of seven prospective cohorts
Population: Adults in seven cohorts
Country: not stated in abstract (cohorts include NIH/WHI-funded US cohorts)
Period: not stated in abstract
Sample size: 110,063 (CVD); 67,146 (hypertension)
Inclusion and exclusion criteria: Cohorts with potato data

Exposure / intervention: Total, fried, and baked/boiled/mashed potatoes
Comparator: No potato intake
Endpoints: CVD, hypertension
Statistical methods: Cohort-specific Cox models, inverse-variance meta-analysis

Results: 5+ servings/week vs none: total potato CVD HR 0.96 (0.89-1.04), hypertension 1.04 (0.99-1.08). Fried potatoes: no CVD association; hypertension 10% higher (4%-17%) for 1+ servings/week vs none.
Absolute risks: not reported
Authors' conclusion: Total potato not associated with CVD or hypertension; modest higher hypertension risk with fried potatoes only.

Orienting tool: ROBINS-E
Type of assessment: simplified assessment (abstract only)
Full formal assessment: no
Overall risk of bias: some concerns
Rationale: Industry link of first author; harmonised methods reduce selective analysis.

Small effects; CIs log-symmetric (stats/C-GRN-07).

Supports allowance of boiled/baked potatoes; limits fried potatoes.

Moderate.

Consistent with the existing assessment.

Multidimensional assessment
Multidimensional assessment
Authenticity of the source	verified
Methodological quality	moderate
Risk of bias	some concerns
Precision of results	high
Directness	direct
Reproducibility	partly replicated
Consistency with the overall evidence	consistent
Regional transferability	moderate
Adequacy of the interpretation (by the archive)	not applicable

None major.