Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40461516›Full record

SynthesisNutrition & diabetes2025

Dietary protein and risk of type 2 diabetes: findings from a registry-based cohort study and a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.

Mingjing Xu, Jianheng Zheng, Tao Ying, Yang Zhu, Jun Du, Fan Li, Bo Chen, Yuwei Liu, Gengsheng He

Abstract readMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Nutrition & diabetes, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Mingjing Xu *School of Public Health, Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Jianheng Zheng *Nutrilite Health Institute, Shanghai, China.
Tao YingSchool of Public Health, Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Yang ZhuSchool of Public Health, Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Jun DuNutrilite Health Institute, Shanghai, China.
Fan LiDepartment of Nutrition, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Bo ChenSchool of Public Health, Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Yuwei LiuSchool of Public Health, Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. ywliu@fudan.edu.cn.ORCID 0000-0002-4541-3824
Gengsheng HeSchool of Public Health, Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesLifestyle intervention, especially dietary modification, has been the cornerstone in preventing type 2 diabetes (T2D). We aimed to investigate the associations of various protein intake exposures with the risk of incident T2D in adults with or without metabolic diseases.

methodsWe followed 29517 residents enrolled in the Shanghai Suburban Adult Cohort and Biobank (SSACB) without diabetes at baseline through the electronic information system. Cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate the associations of various protein intake exposures with the risk of incident T2D, visualized by restricted cubic splines (RCS). Propensity-score matching and subgroup analysis were used to characterize the association between total protein and incident T2D by metabolic diseases. Meta-analysis further explored the association between protein intake and incident T2D in broader populations.

resultsIn SSACB, 1511 (5.1%) participants developed T2D during a median follow-up period of 5.69 years. A U-shaped association between total protein and risk of incident T2D was found (protective range: 12.20-16.85 percentage energy (%E), cut-off point: 14.53%E). The U-shaped association (P-nonlinear < 0.001) remained in adults with hypertension with a narrower protective range (12.20-15.35%E), with a linear association in adults with NAFLD (HR per 1%E: 0.952, 95% CI: [0.910, 0.995]), whereas no significant association in adults with hyperlipidemia or central obesity. A negative association between plant protein and risk of incident T2D was also found in SSACB (HR per 1%E: 0.947, 95% CI: [0.900, 0.996]). In addition, the U-shaped association of total protein with the risk of incident T2D was reaffirmed in the dose-response meta-analysis (cut-off point: 15.10%E).

conclusionIn SSACB, a U-shaped association between total protein intake and risk of incident T2D was found, which was reaffirmed in the dose-response meta-analysis, and differed by metabolic diseases, especially hypertension and NAFLD. Moreover, plant protein was inversely associated with the risk of incident T2D.

Indexed as

Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2Dietary ProteinsAdultAgedChinaCohort StudiesFemaleHumansIncidenceMaleMiddle AgedProportional Hazards ModelsProspective StudiesRegistriesRisk FactorsDietary Proteins

Identifiers

PMID40461516
PMCPMC12134278

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.