Flavonols intake and the risk of coronary heart disease: a meta-analysis of cohort studies.

Objective: Prospective cohort are inconsistent regarding the association between flavonols intake and the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). The aim was to perform a meta-analysis to determine whether an association exists between them in observational studies.

Methods: We searched PUBMED and EMBASE databases for studies conducted from 1966 through January 2012. Data were independently abstracted by 2 investigators using a standardized protocol. Study-specific risk estimates were combined by using a random-effects model.

Results: A total of nine general population cohorts with 216,908 participants and more than 5249 CHD cases were included in the meta-analysis. The summary relative risk (RR) did not indicate a significant association between the highest flavonols intake and reduced risk of CHD (summary RR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.83, 1.01). Furthermore, no significant association was found through the dose-response analysis (an increment of 20mg/day, summary RR: 0.96; 95% CI: 0.90, 1.03).

Conclusions: Our results do not support a protective role of flavonols intake against CHD.