Ultra-processed food consumption associates with higher cardiovascular risk in rheumatoid arthritis

Ultraprocessed food and chronic noncommunicable diseases: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of 43 observational studies

“…In contrast, three studies reported no association between ultraprocessed food consumption and BMI (beta coefficient: 0.02; 95%CI, −0.02 to 0.07 39 ; Spearman correlation coefficient: −0.12, P = 0.78 48 ; Pearson correlation coefficient: 0.04, P = 0.95 47 ), with two of these reporting no association with waist circumference (Spearman correlation coefficient 0.01, P = 0.90 48 ; Pearson correlation coefficient 0.025, P = 0.75 47 ). Similarly, two studies reported that higher versus lower consumption of ultraprocessed food was not associated with body fat percentage (beta coefficient: 0.03; 95% CI, −0.06 to 0.12 71 ; Pearson correlation coefficient −0.45, P = 0.57 47 ) or visceral fat (beta coefficient: 0.20; 95% CI, −4.11 to 4.51 71 ).…”

“…Five studies used sex‐specific cut‐off ranges, four divided the sample by quartiles 49,65,66,68 and the other study by tertiles 42 . Other studies treated ultraprocessed food consumption as a dichotomous variable ( n = 5) 66,68‐71 as well as a continuous variable ( n = 7 for main statistical analyses, 39,41,47,48,55,58,71 with n = 10 for secondary analyses 36,49,51‐53,59,65,67,68 ). In the latter, quartiles or quintiles were used for the main statistical analyses.…”

“…Fourteen studies ( N = 156,276) investigated associations between the consumption of ultraprocessed food and measures of overweight and obesity among adults 39,40,47,48,54,59,63,67,68,70‐74 . Twelve were cross‐sectional, and two studies were prospective 63,67 (see Table S2 for study characteristics) 39,40,47,48,54,59,68,70‐74 . The following sections describe the nature of relationships between the consumption of ultraprocessed food and varying measures of overweight and obesity:…”

“…BMI was assessed as a continuous variable in seven cross‐sectional analyses, 39,40,47,48,68,70,74 waist circumference in five, 40,47,48,68,70 body fat percentage in two 47,71 and visceral fat in one 71 . One of seven studies examining BMI continuously was prospective in study design; however, the association between ultraprocessed food consumption and prepregnancy BMI was analysed cross‐sectionally, with no association reported (beta coefficient: 0.45; 95% CI, −0.02 to 0.92; N = 189) 74 .…”

“…Seven studies examined the consumption of ultraprocessed food and risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease ( N = 24,880) 41,42,48,58,60,71,75 . Study designs, sample sizes and populations were heterogeneous, including four cross‐sectional 42,48,58,71 and three 41,60,75 prospective studies. Four studies were conducted in adults, 42,48,60,71 two in children ( N = 652) 41,58 and one in adolescents ( N = 259) 75 .…”