Egg Consumption and its Association with Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality in China. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) represent the primary etiology of global mortality, accounting for approximately 17.9 million deaths annually. In China, CVDs were responsible for 46.74% of all fatalities in 2020, underscoring a critical public health crisis precipitated by rapid urbanization, sedentary behaviors, and nutritional transitions. Despite the magnitude of this epidemic, existing Chinese literature regarding the impact of egg consumption on CVD outcomes remains discordant, with conflicting evidence suggesting both cardioprotective and deleterious effects. Given unique genetic profiles and regional dietary disparities, a rigorous, targeted synthesis of evidence is warranted.

Aims: This systematic review and meta-analysis sought to synthesize extant evidence to evaluate the association between egg consumption and the risk of CVD incidence and CVD-related mortality within the Chinese population.

Methods: Conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, a systematic search was executed across four electronic databases for peer-reviewed literature. Data from studies satisfying the inclusion criteria were pooled for quantitative synthesis. Relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to assess the association between egg intake and various cardiovascular outcomes.

Results: Analysis of five eligible studies, encompassing a total cohort of 631,652 Chinese participants, revealed that egg consumption significantly increased the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) by 51% in two of the included studies. While the effect on stroke risk appeared negligible (unitary), egg consumption was associated with an 8% increase in overall CVD risk, although this finding did not reach statistical significance. Furthermore, a 7% non-significant increase in CVD-related mortality was reported across four independent Chinese cohorts.

Conclusion: The influence of egg consumption on cardiovascular health in the Chinese population is multifaceted across different subpopulations. However, the aggregate data suggest that higher egg intake may function as a potential risk factor for cardiovascular complications and mortality.

Keywords: Cardiovascular Diseases; Coronary Heart Disease; Stroke; CVD-mortality; Egg Consumption; China.