Association of Vegetarian and Vegan Diets with Cardiovascular Health: An Umbrella Review of Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies and Randomized Trials.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are leading global causes of mortality. Unhealthy diets have been linked to an increased risk of CVD, while plant-based diets have shown potential protective effects. This umbrella review summarizes the evidence on the association between vegetarian diets and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. METHODS: PubMed, Scopus, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane, and Web of Science were consulted. Meta-analyses grouped by author and outcome were performed. The heterogeneity was evaluated using I2 statistics. RESULTS: There was a 41.2% risk reduction for cerebrovascular disease. CVD incidence had a 29% reduced risk. CVD mortality had a 13.8% risk reduction, while IHD incidence had a 24.1% reduction, but with high heterogeneity. IHD mortality showed a significant 32.1% risk reduction. Ischemic stroke had a significant 32.9% risk reduction across six studies. Stroke incidence showed a significant 39.1% risk reduction in a single study. There was a non-significant 11.6% risk reduction for stroke mortality with moderate heterogeneity. CONCLUSION: Healthier diets are associated with reduced risks of cerebrovascular disease, CVD incidence, IHD mortality, and ischemic stroke. However, evidence quality and consistency vary, emphasizing the need for more research. Policymakers and healthcare professionals should prioritize promoting healthy diets for CVD prevention.

Mediated and moderated associations between cumulative lifetime stressor exposure, emotional dysregulation, impulsivity, and lifetime alcohol use: A cross-sectional scoping study of UK drinkers.

Stress, trait impulsivity, and emotional dysregulation are independent predictors of alcohol use and misuse, but little is known about the potential mechanisms that link these risk factors together. To address this issue, we carried out an exploratory cross-sectional study, on UK-based participants. Our preregistered, hypothesised theoretical framework was that emotional dysregulation mediates the association between cumulative lifetime stressor exposure and lifetime alcohol use. We also hypothesised that heightened impulsivity would strengthen these relations. As hypothesised, emotional dysregulation fully mediated the relation between cumulative lifetime stressor exposure and lifetime alcohol use. Several facets of impulsivity moderated these associations. For example, as levels of negative urgency increased, the associations between cumulative lifetime stressor exposure and emotional dysregulation, emotional dysregulation and lifetime alcohol use, and lifetime stress exposure and lifetime alcohol use, via emotional dysregulation, strengthened. These preliminary findings propose a theoretically framed model which integrates several prominent risk-factors for alcohol misuse, extending prior research and generating interesting and novel lines of enquiry for longitudinal and cross-cultural analyses. The findings also highlight the potential clinical utility of screening for lifetime stress exposure while tailoring personalised treatment interventions.