Effects of β-carotene intake on the risk of fracture: a Bayesian meta-analysis

Charkos et al., 2020 | BMC Musculoskelet Disord | Meta Analysis

Citation

Charkos Tesfaye Getachew, Liu Yawen, ... Yang Shuman. Effects of β-carotene intake on the risk of fracture: a Bayesian meta-analysis. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2020-Oct-31;21(1):711. doi:10.1186/s12891-020-03733-0

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological studies examining the association between β-carotene intake and risk of fracture have reported inconsistent findings. We conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the association between β-carotene intake and risk of fracture. METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane library databases for relevant articles that were published until December 2019. We also identified studies from reference lists of articles identified from the clinical databases. The frequentist and Bayesian random-effects model was used to synthesize data. RESULTS: Nine studies with a total of 190,545 men and women, with an average age of 59.8 years, were included in this meta-analysis. For β-carotene intake (1.76-14.30 mg/day), the pooled risk ratio (RR) of any fracture was 0.67 (95% Credible Interval (CrI): 0.51-0.82; heterogeneity: P = 0.66, I2 = 0.00%) and 0.63 (95%CrI: 0.44-0. 82) for hip fracture. By study design, the pooled RRs were 0.55 (95% CrI: 0.14-0.96) for case-control studies and 0.82 (95% CrI: 0.58-0.99) for cohort studies. By geographic region, the pooled RRs were 0.58 (95% CrI: 0.28-0.89), 0.86 (95% CrI: 0.35-0.1.37), and 0.91(95% CrI: 0.75-1.00) for studies conducted in China, the United States, and Europe, respectively. By sex, the pooled RRs were 0.88 (95% CrI: 0.73-0.99) for males and 0.76 (95% CrI, 0.44-1.07) for females. There was a 95% probability that β-carotene intake reduces risk of hip fracture and any type of fracture by more than 20%. CONCLUSIONS: The present meta-analysis suggests that β-carotene intake was inversely associated with fracture risk, which was consistently observed for case-control and cohort studies. Randomized controlled trials are warranted to confirm this relationship.

Key Findings

Nine studies with a total of 190,545 men and women, with an average age of 59.8 years, were included in this meta-analysis. For β-carotene intake (1.76-14.30 mg/day), the pooled risk ratio (RR) of any fracture was 0.67 (95% Credible Interval (CrI): 0.51-0.82; heterogeneity: P = 0.66, I2 = 0.00%) and 0.63 (95%CrI: 0.44-0. 82) for hip fracture. By study design, the pooled RRs were 0.55 (95% CrI: 0.14-0.96) for case-control studies and 0.82 (95% CrI: 0.58-0.99) for cohort studies. By geographic reg

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population See abstract
Sample Size See abstract
Age Range See abstract
Condition See abstract

MeSH Terms

  • Bayes Theorem
  • China
  • Europe
  • Female
  • Hip Fractures
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • beta Carotene

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Meta Analysis
  • Publication Types: Journal Article, Meta-Analysis
  • Vertical: vitamin-a

Provenance


Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09