Association of low-carbohydrate diet score with overweight, obesity and cardiovascular disease risk factors: a cross-sectional study in Iranian women

Abstract

<i><b>Introduction:</b> </i> This study aimed to determine the association of low-carbohydrate-diet score with overweight, obesity and cardiovascular risk factors among Iranian women. <i><b>Methods:</b></i> In healthy Iranian women 20-50 years, demographics, anthropometrics, physical activity, blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, blood lipids, and dietary intake (using a validated food frequency questionnaire) were assessed. Participants were divided into deciles of macronutrient intakes. Women in the lowest decile of carbohydrate intake received a score of 9 and women in the highest decile received a score of 0. For protein and fat intakes, women in the lowest decile received a score of 0 for that macronutrient and those in the highest decile received the score of 9. Macronutrient scores were summed to create the low-carbohydrate diet score and women were grouped into tertiles based on these scores. Continuous and qualitative variables were compared among the low-carbohydrate-diet score by one-way ANOVA and chi-square test, respectively. Logistic regression was used to determine the association of low-carbohydrate-diet score and cardiovascular risk factors. <i><b>Results:</b></i> A total of 209 women were included in the study. Socioeconomic status significantly increased from tertile 1 to 3 of the low-carbohydrate diet score (<i>P</i> = 0.02). Total dietary glycemic index (GI) significantly differed among tertiles (tertile 1 GI: 63.1 ±0.50, tertile 2 GI: 61.9 ± 0.5, tertile 3 GI: 59.5 ± 0.5; <i>P</i> < 0.001). The odds ratios for overweight, obesity and cardiovascular risk factors were not significantly different among the tertiles of low-carbohydrate diet score. <i><b>Conclusion:</b></i> In Iranian women, diets lower in carbohydrate and higher in protein and fat were not associated with overweight, obesity and cardiovascular risk factors.