Dietary and Lifestyle Insulinemic Potential Indices and Risk Factors of Metabolic Syndrome Among Overweight and Obese Individuals: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: As a worldwide pandemic, metabolic syndrome (MetS) is related with high disease burden. The emergence of multiple chronic diseases can be attributed to unfavorable dietary and lifestyle choices made by individuals, with hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance as the underlying causes. Current study sought to assess the relationship between the Empirical Dietary Index for Hyperinsulinemia (EDIH) and the Empirical Lifestyle Index for Hyperinsulinemia (ELIH) and MetS risk factors. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 339 individuals between the ages of 20 and 50, who were either obese or overweight, and were recruited from Tabriz, Iran. In this study, a validated semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) with 168 questions was used to assess individuals’ food consumption. Blood tests were performed to assess total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglyceride (TG) levels, as well as blood glucose and insulin levels. Results: After multivariable adjustment, among tertiles of EDIH, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and TG were significantly different. Also, SBP, diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and HDL-C significantly differed across tertiles of ELIH. In multivariate-adjusted models, individuals classified in the highest tertile of EDIH demonstrated elevated ORs in relation to FBG levels [OR: 1.035 (1.004-1.068; P < .05)], and the second tertile of ELIH was inversely associated with SBP [OR: 0.966 (0.935-0.999; P < .05)], DBP [OR: 0.972 (0.948-0.997; P < .05)], TG in the model I [OR: 0.991 (0.983-0.999; P < .05)], and model II [OR: 0.991 (0.983-0.999; P < .05)]. Conclusion: Considering the findings of our study, higher insulinemic dietary potential, indicated by EDIH, can be related to higher odds of FBG and decreased odds of TG as risk factors of MetS. Furthermore, our findings suggest that individuals with a higher ELIH may potentially exhibit lower SBP and DBP levels. Nevertheless, further experimental and long-term investigations are necessary to fully comprehend this association.