Association between metabolic syndrome and Chinese healthy eating index in a community population of Shanghai

ObjectiveTo study the association between metabolic syndrome （MS） and Chinese healthy eating index （CHEI）， and to identify the beneficial or adverse effects of diets on MS in a community population of Shanghai.

MethodsBased on the inclusion and exclusion criteria， the data of 4 856 subjects from a community in Shanghai was collected by interview. Total CHEI score and its component score were calculated based on the frequency of food consumption. Physical examination and blood biochemical tests were used to diagnose MS. The logistic regression model was used to analyze the relationship between MS or relative indexes and the total CHEI score or its component score.

ResultsThe study showed the overall prevalence of MS was 24.71%. There were significant differences between MS group and controls （P<0.05） in age， BMI， waist circumference， fasting blood glucose， triglycerides， total cholesterol， systolic blood pressure， diastolic blood pressure， glycated hemoglobin， high-density lipoprotein and energy intake. After adjusting for potential confounders， it showed that the higher total CHEI score， the lower risk of central obesity， increased diastolic blood pressure， increased glycated hemoglobin， hyperglycemic and MS （P<0.05）. The increase in component score of potatoes， milk， beans， dark vegetables， fruits， oil and sodium reduced risk of obesity， hypertension， hyperglycemia， dyslipidemia and MS （P<0.05）.

ConclusionThe quality of healthy diet （CHEI score more than 80） and increased intake of specific dietary components （potatoes， milk， beans， dark vegetables， fruits） reduce the risk of MS effectively.