Article Impact Level: HIGH Data Quality: STRONG Summary of BMC Medicine, 22(1), 483. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-024-03651-1 Dr. Karl Michaëlsson et al.
Points
- This study investigated the link between non-fermented and fermented milk consumption and the risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD) and myocardial infarction (MI) in a Swedish cohort.
- Findings revealed that higher non-fermented milk intake was associated with increased IHD and MI risk in women but not in men.
- Women who consumed more than two glasses of non-fermented milk daily showed a progressively higher risk of IHD and MI compared to those who consumed only 0.5 glasses/day.
- No significant association was observed between fermented milk intake and IHD or MI risk in either men or women.
- Increased non-fermented milk intake in women was linked to higher plasma ACE2 levels and lower FGF21 levels, suggesting possible metabolic pathways influencing cardiometabolic health.
Summary
This research examines the association between non-fermented and fermented milk consumption and the risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD) and acute myocardial infarction (MI). The study used data from two extensive Swedish prospective cohort studies involving 59,998 women and 40,777 men who provided repeated diet and lifestyle measures over up to 33 years of follow-up. In total, 17,896 cases of IHD, including 10,714 MI cases, were documented. The study utilized time-updated multivariable Cox regression models to explore the impact of milk consumption on IHD and MI, alongside plasma proteomics data from two subcohorts measured using multiplex immunoassays for 276 cardiometabolic proteins.
The results indicated that the association between non-fermented milk and IHD varied by sex. In women, higher non-fermented milk intake was associated with increased IHD and MI risk. Specifically, compared with an intake of 0.5 glass/day (100 mL), women who consumed two glasses/day had a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.05 (95% CI, 1.01–1.08) for IHD, three glasses/day had an HR of 1.12 (95% CI, 1.06–1.19), and four glasses/day had an HR of 1.21 (95% CI, 1.10–1.32). No similar pattern was observed in men, and no association was found between fermented milk intake and IHD or MI risk in either sex. The study also identified that increasing non-fermented milk intake in women was associated with higher plasma levels of ACE2 and lower levels of FGF21, two proteins related to cardiometabolic health.
In conclusion, this study supports a dose-response relationship between non-fermented milk intake and an increased risk of IHD and MI in women but not men. The findings suggest that metabolic pathways involving ACE2 and FGF21 may underlie this association, highlighting the need for further investigation into how milk consumption impacts cardiometabolic health, particularly in women.
Link to the article: https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-024-03651-1
References Michaëlsson, K., Lemming, E. W., Larsson, S. C., Höijer, J., Melhus, H., Svennblad, B., Baron, J. A., Wolk, A., & Byberg, L. (2024). Non-fermented and fermented milk intake in relation to risk of ischemic heart disease and to circulating cardiometabolic proteins in swedish women and men: Two prospective longitudinal cohort studies with 100,775 participants. BMC Medicine, 22(1), 483. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-024-03651-1
