The association between low-carbohydrate diet score and metabolic syndrome among Iranian adults.

Objective Assessing the relationship between low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) score and metabolic syndrome (Mets) in Iranian adults. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Yazd Health Study and Taghzieh Mardom-e-Yazd study. Participants Data of 2074 participants were used. Dietary intakes were assessed by a validated semi-quantitative FFQ. LCD score was calculated for each person by summing up the assigned scores to deciles of energy percentages from macronutrients. Mets was evaluated using National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III. Eventually, association between LCD score and Mets was examined using logistic regression. Results Total Mets prevalence was approximately 40·5 %. After adjustment for confounders, subjects in the higher quartile of LCD score had a significant lower chance of Mets than lower quartile among all participants (Q4 v. Q1: OR: 0·68, 95 % CI (0·50, 0·92)) and separately in men (Q4 v. Q1: OR: 0·54, 95 % CI (0·34, 0·86)) and women (Q2 v. Q1: OR: 0·53, 95 % CI (0·34, 0·82)). Furthermore, more LCD adherence in men reduced abdominal obesity by 47 % (Q3 v. Q1: OR: 0·53, 95 % CI (0·28, 0·99)). A significant inverse relation was also observed between low HDL cholesterol and LCD score in all participants (Q4 versus Q1 OR: 0·74, 95% CI: 0·56-0·99) and separately in men (Q4 versus Q1 OR: 0·63, 95% CI: 0·40-0·98). Conclusions More adherence to LCD might be related to lower chance of Mets and some of its components such as low HDL-cholesterol and abdominal obesity specially in men. Further studies are required to confirm the findings.