Red Meat Consumption and Risk of Nonfatal Acute Myocardial Infarction: Results From a Population-based Case-control Study in Costa Rica

Background: Red meat consumption has been found positively associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence and mortality in the United States and some European countries, but not in Asian countries where red meat consumption is low. The association is still unknown in Hispanic American populations which have relatively low red meat consumption but are undergoing nutrition transition towards Western dietary patterns. Objective: We aimed to estimate the association between total, processed, and unprocessed red meat consumption and nonfatal acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in the Costa Rican population. We also assessed potential mediators, effect modifiers, and the association of substituting other alternative healthy foods for red meat. Design: We recruited cases (n=1785) with a first nonfatal AMI and population-based controls (n=1785) living in Costa Rica, matched for age, sex, and area of residence. Dietary intake was assessed with a validated food frequency questionnaire. Odds ratios (ORs) and 9...