Lignan intake and risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies

We conducted a meta-analysis of 12 prospective cohort studies to further illuminate the associations of lignan intake with risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Compared with the lowest intake, the highest intake of lignans was correlated with a decreased incidence of CVD (relative risk [RR]: 0.85, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.80–0.90) and T2DM (RR: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.68–0.99). The benefits of lignan intake in CVD prevention were consistent across subgroups. In dose-response analysis, the RR for every 500-μg/d increment in lignan intake was 0.83 (95% CI: 0.74–0.92) for CVD and 0.96 (95% CI: 0.95–0.98) for T2DM. Moreover, a curvilinear dose-response pattern was observed for both CVD (p for nonlinearity < 0.001) and T2DM (p for nonlinearity < 0.001) in relation to lignan intake. These results indicated that higher lignan intake may be associated, in a dose-dependent manner, with a lower risk of CVD and T2DM.