Chapter 4 – A systematic review and meta-analysis of the randomised controlled trial evidence currently available to evaluate if the introduced dietary fat guidelines have been supported in retrospect

Introduction

The systematic review and meta-analysis in Chapter Three was the first to examine the RCT evidence available at the time of the introduction of national dietary guidelines [16 44].

This chapter reports on a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess if the published RCTs available to the dietary committees and those published afterwards, support the recommendations on dietary fat. With this in mind, the hypothesis is that RCT evidence currently available does not support the contention that reducing dietary fat intake would contribute to a reduction in CHD risk or related mortality. The guidelines have not been changed since they were announced; therefore, the validity of their evidence base remains relevant.

Methods

A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines [3].