Comparison between the consumption of red meat with and without visible fat: Associations with prospective changes in cardiometabolic risk factors in adults 40 years of age and older

While previous studies have suggested associations between frequent red meat (RM) consumption with visible fat and cardiovascular disease, prospective evidence examining relationships with specific cardiometabolic risk factors remains limited. The objective of this population-based cohort study was to analyze the associations between RM consumption, including selecting lean cuts or removing visible fat, and changes in cardiometabolic risk factors in adults. The study included 1180 Brazilian adults 40 years of age and older, evaluated between 2011 and 2015. Linear regression models were adjusted by the main confounders to estimate the associations between daily RM and RM fat consumption with changes in body mass index, waist circumference (WC), blood pressure, and lipid profile. Of the initial participants, 884 (74.9%) were followed up, of whom 25.0% consumed RM daily and 36.5% regularly ate RM fat. Daily vs nondaily RM consumption showed no associations with changes in cardiometabolic risk factors. However, compared to participants who removed visible fat, those consuming RM fat showed significantly greater WC increases (β = 1.29 cm; 95% confidence interval: 0.34, 2.34) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol decreases (β = -1.85 mg/dL; 95% confidence interval: -3.51, -0.19). Although the results were adjusted for baseline values, body mass index, sociodemographic and lifestyle factors, data on diet quality and energy intake were unavailable and could not be included. Daily RM consumption was not associated with adverse cardiometabolic changes. However, visible RM fat consumption was associated with modest but statistically significant increases in WC and decreases in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in adults ≥40 years of age who consume RM regularly.