Carbohydrate Quality, Glycemic Index, Glycemic Load and Cardiometabolic Risks in the US, Europe and Asia: A Dose-Response Meta-Analysis
D.S. Hardy Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases January 14, 2020
Highlights
•High Glycemic index & glycemic load increased risk of type 2 diabetes in US studies.
•High glycemic load increased risk of coronary heart disease in European female studies.
•Glycemic index and glycemic load had the highest risks in overweight/obese persons.
•Dietary and cereal fibers were protective against type 2 diabetes in US studies.
•Cereal fiber dose-response was protective against type 2 diabetes in US studies.
Background and Aims
Despite the proven evidence of high glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) diets to increase cardiometabolic risks, knowledge about the meta-evidence for carbohydrate quality within world geographic regions is limited. We conducted a meta-analysis to synthesize the evidence of GI/GL studies and carbohydrate quality, gathering additional exposures for carbohydrate, high glycemic carbohydrate, total dietary fiber, and cereal fiber and risks for type 2 diabetes (T2DM), coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, and mortality, grouped into the US, Europe, and Asia. Secondary aims examined cardiometabolic risks in overweight/obese individuals, by sex, and dose-response dietary variable trends.
Methods and Results
40-prospective observational studies from 4-Medline bibliographical databases (Ovid, PubMed, EBSCOhost, CINAHL) were search up to November 2019. Random-effects hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for highest vs. lowest categories and continuous form combined were reported. Heterogeneity (I2>50%) was frequent in US GI/GL studies due to differing study characteristics. Increased risks ((HRGI,T2DM,US=1.14;CI:1.06,1.21), HRGL,T2DM,US=1.09;1.06,1.11), HRGI,T2DM,Asia=1.25;1.02,1.53), and HRGL,T2DM,Asia=1.25;1.03,1.52)) were associated with cardiometabolic diseases. GI/GL in overweight/obese females had the strongest magnitude of risks in US-and Asian studies. Total dietary fiber (HRT2DM,US=0.92;0.88,0.96) and cereal fiber(HRT2DM,US=0.83;0.77,0.90) decreased risk of developing T2DM. Among females, we found protective dose-response risks for total dietary fiber (HR5g-total-dietary-fiber,T2DM,US=0.94;0.92,0.97), but cereal fiber showed better ability to lower T2DM risk (HR5g-cereal-fiber,T2DM,US=0.67;0.60,0.74). Total dietary-and cereal fibers’ dose-response effects were nullified by GL, but not cereal fiber with GI.
Conclusions
Overweight/obese females can shift their carbohydrate intake for higher cereal fiber to decrease T2DM risk, but GL may cancel-out this effect.