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Cured Meat Consumption, Lung Function, and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease among United States Adults

¹ Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, and ² Department of Ophthalmology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York; ³ Hankinson Consulting, Valdosta, Georgia; and ⁴ Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York

Correspondence and requests for reprints should be addressed to R. Graham Barr, M.D., Dr.P.H., Columbia University Medical Center, 622 West 168th Street, PH 9 East–Room 105, New York, NY 10032. E-mail: rgb9{at}columbia.edu

Rationale: Cured meats are high in nitrites. Nitrites generate reactive nitrogen species that may cause nitrative and nitrosative damage to the lung resulting in emphysema.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that frequent consumption of cured meats is associated with lower lung function and increased odds of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Methods: Cross-sectional study of 7,352 participants in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 45 years of age or more, who had adequate measures of cured meat, fish, fruit, and vegetable intake, and spirometry.

Results: After adjustment for age, smoking, and multiple other potential confounders, frequency of cured meat consumption was inversely associated with FEV₁ and FEV₁/FVC but not FVC. The adjusted differences in FEV₁ between individuals who did not consume cured meats and those who consumed cured meats 1 to 2, 3 to 4, 5 to 13, and 14 or more times per month were –37.6, –11.5, –42.0, and –110 ml, respectively (p for trend < 0.001). Corresponding differences for FEV₁/FVC were –0.91, –0.54, –1.13, and –2.13% (p for trend = 0.001). These associations were not modified by smoking status. The multivariate odds ratio for COPD (FEV₁/FVC 0.7 and FEV₁ < 80% predicted) was 1.78 (95% confidence interval, 1.29–2.47) comparing the highest with the lowest category of cured meat consumption. The corresponding odds ratios for mild, moderate, and severe COPD were 1.11, 1.46, and 2.41, respectively.

Conclusions: Frequent cured meat consumption was associated independently with an obstructive pattern of lung function and increased odds of COPD. Additional studies are required to determine if cured meat consumption is a causal risk factor for COPD.

Key Words: cured meats • nitrites • lung function • chronic obstructive pulmonary disease • emphysema

AT A GLANCE COMMENTARY Scientific Knowledge on the Subject Experiential and animal studies suggest that nitrite exposure may cause lung damage. Cured meats are high in nitrite; however, no epidemiologic data are available for the association between consumption of cured meats and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). What This Study Adds to the Field Frequent cured meat consumption is associated with increased risk for developing COPD.

 

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