Association between dietary pattern and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in Zhejiang Province, China: A case-control study

Background and Objectives: Diet is a modifiable risk factor of T2DM with the potential to improve the patients' quality of life. The diet-diabetes relationship has received considerable attention in past decades. This study describes dietary intake of nutrients in a matched case-control study of adults with and without T2DM. Methods and Study Design: Dietary nutrient intake was evaluated by semi-quantitative FFQ and biochemical indexes were studied in enrolled 207 participants with T2DM (diabetes group) and 215 healthy participants ( control group). The t-test of two independent-sample and chi-square test were used to compare data by age and other characters. Exploratory factor analysis was used for dietary pattern analysis. Logistic regression analysis were used to test the effect of different dietary patterns and dietary intakes on the risk of T2DM. Results: The blood glucose, triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were significantly higher in the diabetes group (p<0.05). Three major dietary patterns were identified, "High-salt and high-fat", "Traditional Chinese" and "Western" dietary patterns. With or without adjustment, highest quintile of high-salt and high-fat dietary pattern showed a significantly higher risk of T2DM than the lowest quintile. (OR=2.08, 95%CI: 1.24, 3.49, OR=1.70, 95%CI: 0.98, 2.54, OR=1.67, 95%CI: 0.97, 2.51). Conclusions: Individuals with a high-fat and high-salt dietary pattern had an increased risk of T2DM. These findings offered further insights into the dietary structure of T2DM patients. These findings put nutrition education at the center for T2DM patient management. Further follow-up study is needed to assess the dynamic changes of nutrient-metabolism association.