TITLE:
Processed Food Consumption and Risk of Venous Thromboembolism: A Meta-Analysis of Cohort and Mendelian Randomization Studies
AUTHORS:
Ebiuwa Osula, Ryan Fernandez, Ritesh Pahwani, Khadija Shajahan, Zaid Arhkas, Taha Abubaker, Christian A. Colón-Berly, Mohammad Nagi, Olugbenga Oyesanmi, Mohamad Saad
KEYWORDS:
Venous Thromboembolism, Ultra-Processed Foods, Lifestyle Medicine, Inflammation, Thrombosis, Dietary Patterns
JOURNAL NAME:
World Journal of Neuroscience,
Vol.16 No.3,
August
5,
2026
ABSTRACT: Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE), including deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. While obesity and metabolic dysfunction are established risk factors, the contribution of processed-food–dominant dietary patterns to incident VTE risk remains incompletely understood. Methods: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of PubMed and Web of Science through November 2025. Eligible studies for quantitative synthesis included prospective cohort studies evaluating processed-food-dominant dietary patterns and incident VTE. Mendelian randomization (MR) studies and prior systematic reviews were synthesized narratively. Processed-food exposures, including Western dietary pattern scores, ultra-processed food intake, processed meats, and refined-grain dominant dietary patterns, were harmonized into a broader processed food dominant dietary construct. A random-effects meta-analysis using the DerSimonian-Laird estimator was conducted. Hazard ratios (HRs), relative risks (RRs), and odds ratios (ORs) were pooled as approximations of RR because of the low absolute incidence of VTE. Results: Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria for qualitative synthesis, including 10 prospective cohort studies, 3 Mendelian randomization analyses, and 2 systematic reviews/meta-analyses. Six prospective cohort studies evaluating incident VTE were included in the quantitative meta-analysis. High processed-food consumption was associated with increased incident VTE risk (pooled RR 1.52; 95% CI 1.28 - 1.80; I2 = 57%). Processed meats and refined-grain dominant dietary patterns demonstrated the strongest associations. Mendelian randomization studies supported adiposity- and adipokine-mediated pathways linking metabolic dysfunction with increased VTE susceptibility. Conclusions: Processed food dominant dietary patterns are associated with increased risk of incident VTE. Observational and genetic evidence suggest that inflammation, visceral adiposity, endothelial dysfunction, and adipokine imbalance may mediate this relationship. Future prospective and interventional studies using standardized processed-food classifications are needed to clarify causality and inform dietary prevention strategies.