Cardiovascular disease

• 'fat intake is positively associated with changes in fasting and postprandial factor VII, which may increase cardiovascular risk. However, no unequivocal conclusions can be drawn and effects cannot be quantified'.

• 'a direct association between total fat intake and CVD outcomes is unlikely'.

• Strong evidence that 'reducing total fat (replacing total fat with overall carbohydrates) does not lower CVD risk'.

Coronary heart disease

• 'there is no probable or convincing evidence for significant effects of total dietary fats on coronary heart disease'.

• Probable evidence of no association between total fat intake (without regarding fat quality) and occurrence of CHD in the area of primary prevention.

• 'Several studies have shown associations between high-fat intakes and an increased risk of CHD […]. However, the type of fatty acid consumed is very important in defining these associations'.

Blood pressure

• Possible evidence of no association 'between a reduced intake of total fat and the risk of hypertension'.

Serum lipids

• Convincing evidence that reducing the proportion of energy intake from total fat lowers the total and LDL plasma cholesterol concentration.
• 'convincing evidence that an increasing fat intake increases the plasma concentration of total and LDL cholesterol'.
• 'There is possible evidence for a reduction in the plasma concentration of HDL cholesterol' due to a reduction in the proportion of energy intake form fat.
• There is probable evidence that a reduction in the proportion energy intake from fat has no long-term effect on the plasma triglyceride concentration.
• Insufficient evidence for 'a reduction in the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol and LDL to HDL cholesterol through a reduction' in the proportion energy intake from fat.

Metabolic syndrome

• Possible evidence for a 'positive association between the total fat proportion of the diet and the occurrence of metabolic syndrome'.

Stroke

• 'probable evidence that total fat intake does not influence the risk of ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke'.

• 'Epidemiological prospective cohort studies have not found consistent relationships between total fat intake […] with the risk to develop type 2 diabetes mellitus'.
• 'Total fat intake may decrease insulin sensitivity. Clear dose-response relationships have, however, not been established'.

• 'The available data allow us to conclude that type 2 diabetes mellitus cannot be prevented by a reduction of total fat intake, regardless of the effect this has on body weight. […] there is probable evidence for a lack of an association'.

• 'Several studies have shown associations between high-fat intakes and an increased risk of […] insulin resistance. However, the type of fatty acid consumed is very important in defining these associations'.

• 'For many specific fatty acids, results from prospective cohort studies are still too limited, and sometimes contradictory, to conclude on clear associations between their intakes and the risk of a particular type of cancer'.

• 'there is no probable or convincing evidence for significant effects of total dietary fats on […] cancers'.

• Probable evidence that 'no association exists between the level of total fat intake and risk of individual cancers'.

• 'Several studies have shown associations between high-fat intakes and an increased risk of […] cancer. However, the type of fatty acid consumed is very important in defining these associations'.

• 'Short to medium-term (up to 1 year) and long-term intervention studies provide evidence that a moderate fat intake (<35 E%) is associated with reduced energy intake and therefore moderate weight reduction or prevention of weight gain'.

• 'not possible to determine at a probable or convincing level the causal relationship of excess % E intake from fat and unhealthy weight gain', due 'insufficient evidence and conflicting interpretation of results on the nature of the relationship between the %E fat and adult body weight'.

• 'probable evidence that a high intake of fat with uncontrolled total energy intake favours the development of obesity. With an energy-controlled diet, however, there is probable evidence for a lack of association between fat intake and risk of obesity'.

• Probable evidence for a 'positive association between the amount of dietary fat and body weight'.

• 'High-fat diets in excess of energy needs can cause obesity'
• 'High-fat diets may result in a positive energy balance and therefore in weight gain under sedentary conditions'.