The Study
Red meat consumption and risk of cardiovascular diseases-is increased iron load a possible link?
This study watched a group of people over time and noticed that those who ate more red meat sometimes had more heart problems. But it couldn't prove that the meat caused the problems — maybe those people also had other habits, like eating less veggies or exercising less, that were the real reason.
Analysis score
Maximum 72 for a cohort study.
Where the score came from
Scientists wondered if eating red meat raises heart attack risk because it increases iron in your blood. They studied thousands of people over time to find out.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 555 / 100
Quality score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1The extra heart attack risk from meat wasn't caused by iron—it was likely because meat-eaters often had other unhealthy habits like being overweight or drinking more alcohol.
- 2People who ate 50g more red meat per day had an 18% higher chance of having a heart attack.
- 3Their iron levels (ferritin) were higher too.
- 4But when they looked at other things like weight and drinking, the iron link disappeared.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
The American journal of clinical nutrition
Year
2018
Authors
Daniel A Quintana Pacheco, D. Sookthai, C. Wittenbecher, Mirja E Graf, Ruth Schübel, T. Johnson, V. Katzke, P. Jakszyn, R. Kaaks, T. Kühn
Related Content
Claims (6)
People who eat meat have health outcomes that are neither worse nor better than those who eat less meat, after accounting for differences in income, education, and daily habits.
Higher plasma ferritin levels are linked to increased risk of heart attack and death from cardiovascular disease when only age and sex are considered, but this link disappears when accounting for obesity, alcohol use, inflammation, and lower education, meaning ferritin does not independently predict these outcomes.
People who eat more red meat have a higher risk of heart attack, with each additional 50 grams per day linked to an 18% higher risk, but this increased risk does not extend to stroke or death from cardiovascular disease.
Eating red meat is linked to a higher risk of heart attack, and this link does not become weaker when accounting for iron levels in the blood, meaning iron levels do not explain why red meat is associated with heart attack risk.
People who eat more red meat tend to have higher plasma ferritin levels, but this does not lead to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease once other factors like obesity and alcohol use are taken into account.
Higher ferritin levels are consistently found in people with obesity, high alcohol intake, inflammation, male sex, older age, and lower education, and these associations suggest ferritin reflects lifestyle patterns rather than directly causing heart disease.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.