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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2013 Jul 16.
Published in final edited form as: Arch Intern Med. 2012 Mar 12;172(7):555–563. doi: 10.1001/archinternmed.2011.2287

Table 3. Hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of cardiovascular mortality according to red meat intake in the HPFS and NHS.

Frequency of consumption (quintiles)
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 P for trend HR (95% CI) for 1 serving/d increase
HPFS
Total red meat
 Cases/person-years 537/152293 490/153126 506/152623 518/153454 665/152647
 Age-adjusted model 1.00 1.05 (0.93-1.19) 1.11 (0.98-1.26) 1.15 (1.02-1.30) 1.48 (1.32-1.66) <0.001 1.21 (1.16-1.27)
 Multivariate modela 1.00 1.09 (0.96-1.24) 1.16 (1.03-1.32) 1.17 (1.03-1.33) 1.35 (1.19-1.53) <0.001 1.14 (1.08-1.20)
Unprocessed red meat
 Cases/person-years 578/151850 528/150172 446/155316 532/152087 632/154719
 Age-adjusted model 1.00 1.08 (0.95-1.20) 0.97 (0.86-1.10) 1.11 (0.98-1.25) 1.41 (1.26-1.58) <0.001 1.26 (1.18-1.34)
 Multivariate modela 1.00 1.10 (0.97-1.24) 1.08 (0.95-1.22) 1.14 (1.01-1.29) 1.32 (1.16-1.49) <0.001 1.19 (1.10-1.27)
Processed red meat
 Cases/person-years 594/172817 423/131953 510/153537 512/153206 677/152631
 Age-adjusted model 1.00 0.99 (0.88-1.12) 1.14 (1.01-1.29) 1.13 (1.00-1.27) 1.37 (1.23-1.53) <0.001 1.34 (1.24-1.46)
 Multivariate modela 1.00 1.05 (0.93-1.19) 1.15 (1.01-1.30) 1.15 (1.02-1.31) 1.25 (1.11-1.41) 0.003 1.17 (1.07-1.29)
NHS
Total red meat
 Cases/person-years 601/440429 570/444046 517/441619 598/442319 908/441994
 Age-adjusted model 1.00 1.11 (0.99-1.25) 1.09 (0.97-1.22) 1.33 (1.19-1.49) 1.98 (1.79-2.20) <0.001 1.44 (1.38-1.50)
 Multivariate modela 1.00 1.14 (1.01-1.27) 1.11 (0.99-1.26) 1.28 (1.13-1.43) 1.45 (1.30-1.63) <0.001 1.17 (1.11-1.22)
Unprocessed red meat
 Cases/person-years 617/443224 646/443182 481/441163 549/432988 901/449850
 Age-adjusted model 1.00 1.21 (1.08-1.35) 0.96 (0.85-1.09) 1.15 (1.03-1.29) 1.82 (1.65-2.02) <0.001 1.46 (1.39-1.54)
 Multivariate modela 1.00 1.22 (1.09-1.37) 1.09 (0.96-1.23) 1.19 (1.06-1.34) 1.39 (1.24-1.55) <0.001 1.17 (1.10-1.24)
Processed red meat
 Cases/person-years 671/444737 551/422411 586/457265 572/443383 814/442609
 Age-adjusted model 1.00 0.98 (0.88-1.10) 1.10 (0.99-1.23) 1.16 (1.03-1.29) 1.65 (1.49-1.83) <0.001 1.79 (1.64-1.95)
 Multivariate modela 1.00 0.97 (0.87-1.09) 1.10 (0.99-1.23) 1.12 (0.99-1.25) 1.29 (1.15-1.43) <0.001 1.26 (1.15-1.39)
Pooled Resultsb
 Total red meat 1.00 1.12 (1.03-1.22) 1.13 (1.04-1.24) 1.23 (1.13-1.34) 1.40 (1.29-1.53) <0.001 1.16 (1.12-1.20)
 Unprocessed red meat 1.00 1.16 (1.05-1.28) 1.09 (1.00-1.18) 1.17 (1.07-1.27) 1.36 (1.25-1.47) <0.001 1.18 (1.13-1.23)
 Processed red meat 1.00 1.01 (0.92-1.10) 1.12 (1.03-1.22) 1.13 (1.04-1.23) 1.27 (1.18-1.38) <0.001 1.21 (1.13-1.31)

Abbreviation: HPFS, Health Professionals Follow-up Study; NHS, Nurses' Health Study.

a

Multivariate model: adjusted for age (continuous), body mass index category (<23, 23-24.9, 25-29.9, 30-34.9, ≥35 kg/m2), alcohol consumption (0, 0.1-4.9, 5.0-14.9, ≥15 g/d), physical activity level (<3, 3-8.9, 9-17.9, 18-26.9, ≥27 hours of metabolic equivalent tasks per week), smoking status (never, past, current 1-14 cigarettes/d, current 15-24 cigarettes/d, current ≥25 cigarettes/d,), race (white/non-white), menopausal status and hormone use in women (premenopausal, postmenopausal never users, postmenopausal past users, postmenopausal current users), family history of diabetes, myocardial infarction, or cancer, history of diabetes, hypertension, or hypercholesterolemia, quintiles of total energy intake, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

b

Results from multivariate model 2 were combined using random-effects model.