Association Between dietary patterns and the risk of metabolic syndrome among Iranian population: A cross-sectional study

The role of dietary patterns in metabolic syndrome has not been investigated sufficiently among Iranian population. The aim of this study is to investigate the association of major dietary patterns with the risk of metabolic syndrome and its components among healthy individuals of Iran. This is a cross-sectional study that was performed on 5895 men and women who participated in MASHAD study project. Factor analysis was employed to determine major dietary patterns with regard to a validated 65-item food frequency questionnaire. Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed using international diabetes federation (IDF). Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between dietary patterns and metabolic syndrome risk to generate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Three major dietary patterns (Balanced, Western and high carbohydrate) were identified. The Western pattern showed a positive association with metabolic syndrome (OR [95%CI] for highest vs. lowest tertile: 1.58 [1.21–2.06]; p value = 0.001). The high carbohydrate dietary pattern was associated with higher metabolic syndrome risk (OR [95%CI] for highest vs. lowest tertile: 1.17 [1.02–1.33]; P value = 0.022). The Balanced dietary pattern was unrelated to metabolic syndrome, but was related to some individual risk factors for metabolic syndrome. These results suggest that the Western and high carbohydrate patterns are associated with an increased risk for metabolic syndrome among Iranian adults. The causality of these associations needs to be confirmed.