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Lipids and cardiovascular/metabolic health

Association of dietary patterns with insulin resistance and clinically silent carotid atherosclerosis in apparently healthy people

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 67, pages 1284–1290 (2013)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES:

Dietary habits are important determinants of individual cardiovascular and metabolic risk. This study investigated the association between dietary patterns and asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis, defined as the presence of plaques and/or increased intima–media thickness, and metabolic biomarkers of insulin resistance, including the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and the trygliceride/high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol (Tg/HDL) ratio in a cohort of adults without known diabetes or atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

SUBJECTS/METHODS:

Nine hundred and twenty-nine randomly selected participants were cross-sectionally investigated. Each participant answered a food frequency questionnaire, and underwent high-resolution ultrasonographic evaluation of both carotid arteries. Laboratory blood measurements were obtained in a subsample of 507 participants.

RESULTS:

A dietary pattern that could be defined as unhealthy (high consumption of soft drinks, fried foods, seed oils, cured meats, butter, red meat and sweets) was identified in 21% of the cohort, whereas 34% of the cohort exhibited a dietary pattern that resembled the Mediterranean diet (high intakes of fruit, milk and cheese, olive oil, vegetables, pasta and bread). Intermediate habits characterized the remaining 45%. After adjusting for age, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and hypertension on treatment, the Mediterranean dietary pattern was associated with significantly lower HOMA-IR (β-coefficient=−0.51; P=0.003). After adjusting for gender, BMI and HbA1c, the unhealthy dietary pattern was associated with a significantly higher Tg/HDL-cholesterol ratio (β-coefficient=0.43; P=0.006). No significant association was found between dietary patterns and carotid atherosclerosis.

CONCLUSIONS:

This study suggests that, independent of measures of adiposity, a Mediterranean dietary pattern is associated with lower insulin resistance.

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Acknowledgements

This study was funded by the Region of Sicily, the Regional Commission of Agricultural and Dietary Resources, through the Regional Department of Intervention for Fishing, as per decree no. 134 of 05.28.2010 (project code: P09/5/120), and by the non-profit Association of Nutrition and Health in Palermo, Italy. We thank Warren Blumberg for his help in editing this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento Biomedico di Medicina Interna e Specialistica (DIBIMIS), Laboratorio di Nutrizione Clinica—P Giaccone Policlinico, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy

    S Buscemi, A Mattina, G Rosafio, A M Barile, V Maniaci, S Verga, D Sprini & G B Rini

  2. Dipartimento di Farmacologia Clinica ed Epidemiologia, Consorzio Mario Negri Sud, Santa Maria Imbaro, Italy

    A Nicolucci, G Lucisano & F Pellegrini

  3. Dipartimento di Scienze per la Promozione della Salute e Materno Infantile, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy

    F M Massenti & E Amodio

  4. Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, University of Catania, Catania, Italy

    F Galvano & G Grosso

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Correspondence to S Buscemi.

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Buscemi, S., Nicolucci, A., Mattina, A. et al. Association of dietary patterns with insulin resistance and clinically silent carotid atherosclerosis in apparently healthy people. Eur J Clin Nutr 67, 1284–1290 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2013.172

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