This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
High carbohydrate intake increases metabolic syndrome risk in Asian adults
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Asian men who consumed higher amounts of refined carbohydrates were more likely to develop metabolic syndrome than men who consumed less, regardless of their fat intake, whereas Asian women saw an increased risk for the condition only with high carbohydrate intake combined with low fat intake, according to findings published in Clinical Nutrition.
“Though Asians have a relatively low BMI and consume a low-fat diet, the incidence of [metabolic syndrome] and [cardiovascular disease] is higher than that of the Western population,” Ji-Won Lee, MD, PhD, associate professor in the department of family medicine at Yonsei University College of Medicine in Seoul, Korea, and colleagues wrote. “Recently, [metabolic syndrome] has rapidly increased in Asia, and several studies have demonstrated stronger associations between dietary [carbohydrate] intake, high glycemic index or glycemic load, low whole-grain intake and metabolic disease.”
Lee and colleagues analyzed data from 6,737 men and 8,845 women participating in the 2008-2011 waves of the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, conducted annually by the Korea CDC. Participants with at least three of the following features were defined as having metabolic syndrome: abdominal obesity (waist circumference of at least 90 cm for men or 80 cm for women); triglyceride levels at least 1.7 mmol/L; HDL cholesterol 1.03 mmol/L or lower for men and 1.29 mmol/L or lower for women; systolic blood pressure at least 130 mm Hg or diastolic BP at least 85 mm Hg or current treatment for hypertension; and fasting plasma glucose at least 5.6 mmol/L or current treatment for diabetes. Survey participants completed 24-hour dietary recalls with trained dietitians; refined carbohydrate intake was calculated as total grams minus indigestible fiber. Participants were stratified by both carbohydrate intake (three groups) and fat intake (three groups) and further stratified by sex and combined carbohydrate and fat intake proportions (nine groups). Researchers used logistic regression analysis to determine odds ratios for metabolic syndrome based on carbohydrate and fat intake, adjusted for age, BMI, smoking and alcohol intake, physical activity, total energy intake, protein intake and anti-dyslipidemia medication.
Among men, 24.6% had overweight and 38.8% had obesity; 38% had metabolic syndrome. Among women, 19.5% had overweight and 25% had obesity; 31.8% had metabolic syndrome.
In men, prevalence of metabolic syndrome increased with the proportion of carbohydrate intake, but there was no decrease observed with a decrease in fat proportion. In women, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome increased only in the highest tertile of carbohydrate intake and decreased only in the highest tertile of fat intake, according to researchers.
Compared with men in the lowest carbohydrate intake group, the OR for men in the highest carbohydrate tertile developing metabolic syndrome was 1.346 (95% CI, 1.077-1.683); the OR for women in the in the highest carbohydrate tertile developing metabolic syndrome was 1.266 (95% CI, 1.027-1.56) when compared with women in the lowest carbohydrate group.
Compared with men in the lowest fat proportion group, the OR for men in the highest tertile was 0.882 (95% CI, 0.732-1.062); the OR for women in the highest fat proportion tertile was 0.793 (95% CI, 0.661-0.951) when compared with women in the lowest group.
When looking at the nine combined carbohydrate and fat intake groups, men had an increasing risk for metabolic syndrome across tertiles of carbohydrate intake regardless of fat proportion when compared with men in the combined lowest carbohydrate and lowest fat proportion group (reference group). However, compared with the reference group, women had an increased risk for the condition in only the combined highest carbohydrate/lowest fat proportion group.
“These results indicate that excess [carbohydrate] intake, not fat intake, is associated with [metabolic syndrome] and CVD,” the researchers wrote.
The researchers also noted a combined effect of carbohydrate and fat consumption (proportion of total energy) on metabolic syndrome in the Korean population, suggesting that a restriction of excessive consumption of carbohydrates, as well as consumption of an adequate amount of fat — despite not specifying type of carbohydrates or fats — may decrease the incidence of metabolic syndrome. – by Regina Schaffer
Disclosures: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts