Associations between dietary patterns and the metabolic syndrome in older adults in New Zealand: the REACH study

The metabolic syndrome is common in older adults and may be modified by the diet. The aim of this study was to examine associations between a posteriori dietary patterns and the metabolic syndrome in an older New Zealand population. The REACH study (Researching Eating, Activity, and Cognitive Health) included 366 participants (aged 65-74 years, 36 % male) living independently in Auckland, New Zealand. Dietary data were collected using a 109-item FFQ with demonstrated validity and reproducibility for assessing dietary patterns using principal component analysis. The metabolic syndrome was defined by the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III. Associations between dietary patterns and the metabolic syndrome, adjusted for age, sex, index of multiple deprivation, physical activity, and energy intake were analysed using logistic regression analysis. Three dietary patterns explained 18 % of dietary intake variation - 'Mediterranean style' (salad/leafy cruciferous/other vegetables, avocados/olives, alliums, nuts/seeds, shellfish and white/oily fish, berries), 'prudent' (dried/fresh/frozen legumes, soya-based foods, whole grains and carrots) and 'Western' (processed meat/fish, sauces/condiments, cakes/biscuits/puddings and meat pies/hot chips). No associations were seen between 'Mediterranean style' (OR = 0 center dot 75 (95 % CI 0 center dot 53, 1 center dot 06), P = 0 center dot 11) or 'prudent' (OR = 1 center dot 17 (95 % CI 0 center dot 83, 1 center dot 59), P = 0 center dot 35) patterns and the metabolic syndrome after co-variate adjustment. The 'Western' pattern was positively associated with the metabolic syndrome (OR = 1 center dot 67 (95 % CI 1 center dot 08, 2 center dot 63), P = 0 center dot 02). There was also a small association between an index of multiple deprivation (OR = 1 center dot 04 (95 % CI 1 center dot 02, 1 center dot 06), P < 0 center dot 001) and the metabolic syndrome. This cross-sectional study provides further support for a Western dietary pattern being a risk factor for the metabolic syndrome in an older population.

Automated summary

The study found that Mediterranean and prudent dietary patterns were not significantly associated with the metabolic syndrome in older adults, while the Western dietary pattern showed a positive association with the syndrome. This suggests that the Western dietary pattern may be a risk factor for the metabolic syndrome in the older population.