INTRODUCTION:

Although eggs are rich in nutrients, they are the main source of cholesterol in our diet. The association between regular egg consumption and cardiovascular disease is uncertain. This Evidence-Based Review aims to clarify the effect of egg consumption on cardiovascular disease in adults without previous cardio and cerebrovascular events.

METHODOLOGY:

Bibliographic research using the MeSH terms “Eggs” and “Cardiovascular Diseases”. Studies published in the last 5 years were included according to the criteria: (P) Adults with no established history of cardiovascular disease; (I) Egg consumption;

(C) Absence/lower egg consumption (O) Cardiovascular Events. To assess the levels of evidence and attribution of strengths of recommendation, the SORT scale of the American Family Physician was applied. After reading the abstracts and simultaneous application of the inclusion and exclusion criteria, only 3 articles met our criteria: 1 meta-analysis and 2 systematic reviews with meta-analysis (level of evidence 2).

RESULTS:

This MA demonstrated that the intake of up to 6 eggs/week is inversely associated with cardiovascular events and that consumption of up to 1 egg/day was associated with a decreased of cardiovascular disease incidence. In addition, no association was made with stroke risk. One of the systematic reviews/meta-analysis demonstrated that higher egg consumption (> 1 egg/ day) was not associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease or stroke, but rather with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease. In turn, the other systematic reviews/meta-analysis also showed that moderate egg consumption is not associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

CONCLUSIONS: Current evidence is not sufficient to consider egg consumption unhealthy, nor to generalize potential harmful effects in individuals without previous cardiovascular events. Therefore, while awaiting for better studies, there is no need to discourage egg consumption at this population’s level.

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