Meta-Analysis of the Association Between Whole and Refined Grain Consumption and Stroke Risk Based on Prospective Cohort Studies

The association between whole and refined grain consumption and stroke risk remains unclear. A search using MEDLINE and EMBASE databases was performed through February 29, 2016. Seven prospective studies with a total of 446 451 subjects and 5892 stroke events were included. The summary relative risk (SRR) of stroke for the high versus low consumption was 0.95 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.83-1.14) for total grains, 0.92 (95% CI = 0.72-1.17) for whole grains, and 0.99 (95% CI = 0.84-1.16) for refined grains. Diets rich in whole grains were inversely associated with ischemic stroke risk (SRR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.60-0.95). Our meta-analysis revealed that whole and refined grain consumption is not associated with total stroke risk; however, whole grain consumption is associated with reduced ischemic stroke risk.