Mediterranean Diet and Metabolic Syndrome Prevalence in Type 2 Diabetes Patients in Ahvaz, Southwest of Iran

Aims: Metabolic syndrome as a cardiovascular disease predictor, is proposed to be reduced by following a Mediterranean diet. This study was aimed to explore the relationships between metabolic syndrome and Mediterranean diet in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.

Materials: A cross-sectional study was performed on 158 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients 28-75 years old (mean age: 54.3±9.6 yrs). Fasting glucose and lipid profile were measured. Blood pressure and anthropometric characteristics of each participant were recorded. Food frequency questionnaires were evaluated using an 11-item score to determine the adherence to Mediterranean diet.

Results: Totally, 55.4% of participants had a good adherence to Mediterranean diet. The risk of metabolic syndrome in women was significantly higher than in men (OR=8.65, CI 95%=2.88-25.99; p<0.001). Nuts, legumes and seeds consumption were associated with a significant lower risk of metabolic syndrome (OR=0.42, CI 95%=0.188-0.917; p<0.05). No considerable association was observed between metabolic syndrome and adherence to Mediterranean diet (p=0.167).

Conclusions: Results demonstrated no association between Mediterranean diet adherence and metabolic syndrome in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. However, nuts, legumes and seeds might have greater benefits for diabetics.