Longitudinal association of metabolic syndrome and dietary patterns: A 13-year prospective population-based cohort study

Abstract Background and Aims Diet is a potential factor contributing to the development of Metabolic Syndrome (MetS). This longitudinal study with repeated measurements of dietary intake was thus conducted to examine the longitudinal association between major dietary patterns and risk of MetS. Methods and Results The study was conducted within the framework of the Isfahan Cohort Study (ICS), in which 1387 participants were followed from 2001 to 2013. Validated food frequency questionnaire, anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, fasting serum lipids and blood sugars were evaluated in three phases of the study. Mixed effect Logistic and Cumulative Logit regressions were applied to evaluate the longitudinal associations between dietary patterns change and MetS and number of MetS components. Three dietary patterns identified: Healthy, Iranian and Western dietary patterns. After adjustment for potential confounders, the higher scores of Healthy diet was inversely associated with the risk of MetS and number of MetS components (OR: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.36–0.70, OR: 0.52, 95% CI: 0.39-0.70, respectively). The more adherence to Iranian diet was positively associated with the risk of MetS and number of MetS components (OR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.01–1.65, OR: 1.45, 95%CI: 1.16-1.81, respectively). The Western dietary pattern did not show any significant associations. Conclusion Adherence to a Healthy diet was associated with lower risk of MetS even in a developing country setting. However, Iranian diet was positively associated with the risk of MetS. These results may guide the development of improved preventive nutrition interventions in this adult population.