Red meat and all-cause mortality or survival.

Data was provided by 3 cohorts, including 75.698 deaths. Significantly increased risks were found in 2 cohorts of moderate-very large size (Kelemen LE [17], Sinha R [20]), and including 75,230 cases (99.4% of all cases). But a significant protective effect was found in the remaining cohort, which was of small size (Whiteman D [10]). The average RR = 1.31.
Effect modification: No effect modification was found by smoking status (Sinha R [20]).

Conclusion: Findings were inconsistent, but the cohorts in which significantly increased risks were found included almost all cases. Red meat consumption possibly increases all-cause mortality (+ 31%). No clear level of consumption could be defined for this effect, but in the largest cohort, risk significantly increased at 21.4 g/1000 kcal/day, and gradually increased further at higher levels of consumption.

Prospective studies of red meat and all-cause mortality:
AuthorCohort nameCasesRelative Risk (RR)
20) Sinha R (2009)The NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study47,976 men, and

23,276 women
Men: HR = 1.31 (1.27-1.35; P = < 0.001).

Women: HR = 1.36 (1.30-1.43; P = < 0.001).
17) Kelemen LE (2005)The Iowa Women's Health Study3,978RR = 1.16 (1.02-1.32; P = 0.02).
10) Whiteman D (1999)The OXCHECK Study468RR = 0.71 (0.55-0.92).
Total number of cases: 75,698Average RR = 1.31