Table 6.
Summary of outcomes and strength of evidence1
| Outcome | Exposure/intervention | N studies | Association (direction per study)2 | Meta-analysis results, high versus low consumption, RR (95% CI) | Heterogeneity (I2)3 (%) | RoB | Dose-response | Strength of evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVD (37, 42–44, 71, 75, 78–81, 84, 86, 88, 89, 93, 96–98) |
Total nuts | 17 | ↑ 0 ↓ 10 ↔ 7 |
(15 studies): 0.81 (0.75, 0.86) |
67.01 | Moderate: 7 Serious: 8 |
Yes | Probable |
| CVD mortality (37, 42–44, 75, 78–81, 84, 86, 88, 89, 93, 96, 97) | Total nuts | 16 | ↑ 0 ↓ 11 ↔ 5 |
(15 studies): 0.77 (0.72, 0.82) |
59.34 | Moderate: 8 Serious: 7 |
Yes | Probable |
| CHD (10, 35, 42, 43, 73, 74, 76, 78–80, 89, 91, 93, 95–97, 99) | Total nuts | 15 | ↑ 0 ↓ 6 ↔ 9 |
(13 studies): 0.82 (0.76, 0.89) |
64.00 | Moderate: 6 Serious: 7 |
Yes | Probable |
| CHD mortality (10, 42, 43, 74, 76, 78–80, 91, 97, 99) | Total nuts | 10 | ↑ 0 ↓ 6 ↔ 4 |
(8 studies): 0.75 (0.65, 0.87) |
66.92 | Moderate: 4 Serious: 4 |
Yes | Probable |
| Nonfatal CHD (10, 42, 74, 76, 89, 91, 96) | Total nuts | 6 | ↑ 0 ↓ 3 ↔ 3 |
(6 studies): 0.85 (0.75, 0.96) |
62.24 | Moderate: 2 Serious: 4 |
Yes | Probable |
| Stroke (36, 42, 43, 72, 77, 82, 83, 85, 86, 89, 96, 97, 99) | Total nuts | 12 | ↑ 0 ↓ 2 ↔ 10 |
(10 studies): 0.91 (0.85, 0.97) |
24.84 | Moderate: 5 Serious: 5 |
Non-linear | Suggestive, limited (no association) |
| Ischaemic stroke (36, 42, 43, 72, 83, 85, 89, 91) | Total nuts | 8 | ↑ 0 ↓ 1 ↔ 7 |
(7 studies): 0.94 (0.85, 1.03) |
36.45 | Moderate: 3 Serious: 4 |
No | Suggestive, limited (no association) |
| Stroke mortality (42, 43, 79, 80, 82, 86, 97, 99) | Total nuts | 8 | ↑ 0 ↓ 0 ↔ 8 |
(6 studies): 0.87 (0.76, 1.00) |
0.00 | Moderate: 2 Serious: 4 |
Non-linear | Suggestive, limited (no association) |
| T2D (45, 68, 71, 90, 94, 100–102) | Total nuts | 6 | ↑ 1 ↓ 1 ↔ 3 |
(5 studies): 0.95 (0.75, 1.21) |
82.25 | Moderate: 0 Serious: 5 |
No | Suggestive, no conclusion |
1
Abbreviations: CHD, coronary heart disease; CVD, cardiovascular disease; T2D, type 2 diabetes.
2
Arrows indicate higher risk (↑), lower risk (↓) or no association (↔)