HIGHER CONSUMPTION OF GREEN LEAFY VEGETABLES IS INVERSELY RELATED TO OCCURRENCE OF ISCHEMIC STROKE AND CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE

Several studies have reported the relationship of diets to various diseases, but evidence for the true relationship between the consumption of green leafy vegetables and ischemic stroke (IS) or coronary artery diseases (CAD) is relatively limited. This study assessed the true association between higher consumption of green leafy vegetables and IS or CAD incidence using a meta-analytical approach. Using PRISMA/Cochrane guidelines, we conducted a PROSPERO-registered meta-analysis by searching SCOPUS, MEDLINE, Cochrane library and Google Scholar for previously published cohort studies (through 2020) on the subject using a predefined protocol. Inverse variance weighting (for quantitative estimations for dichotomous events) was applied to determine the log of relative risk (RR) and standard error of data from eligible studies, and the overall relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of the highest quintile of green leafy vegetable consumption (compared to the lowest quintile) for the incidence of IS or CAD were estimated with a fixed-effect approximation at P < 0.05. Out of 3,132 articles retrieved, seven (7) cohort studies were eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Higher consumption of green leafy vegetables was inversely related with occurrence of IS (RR: 0.92, 95% CI: 0.88 to 0.96; P = 0.0003) and CAD (RR: 0.92, 95% CI: 0.90 to 0.95; P < 0.0001). Higher consumption of green leafy vegetables might be beneficial in the primary prevention of IS and CAD. However, longitudinal studies investigating this association are necessary among indigenous Africans.