Adherence to the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans compared with the Mediterranean diet in relation to risk of prediabetes

Prediabetes presents a high-risk state for the development of various diseases and is reversible by adhering to a healthy lifestyle. Researchers conducted an analysis to explore the associations of the Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015) and the Alternate Mediterranean Diet Index (aMed index) with the risk of prediabetes.The data were derived from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, including 20,844 participants. Multivariable-adjusted odds ratios (OR) of prediabetes and 95% confidence intervals (CI) by tertile of diet quality scores were estimated.
Compared to those in the lowest tertile, the multivariable-adjusted OR of prediabetes for the highest tertile was 0.82 (95% CI: 0.72, 0.94) for HEI-2015 and 0.87 (95% CI: 0.76, 0.98) for the aMed index. After mutual adjustment, the association for HEI-2015 but not for the aMed index remained significant. Among the component food groups and nutrients, higher intakes of red and processed meat, sodium, and total saturated fatty acids were associated with a higher risk of prediabetes, while moderate alcohol consumption was associated with a lower risk.
In conclusion, adherence to the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, as compared with the Mediterranean diet, appeared to be more strongly associated with a lower risk of prediabetes among adults in the United States.
Source: Wu P, Zhang L, Zhao Y, Xu M, Tang Q, Chen GC, Qin L. Adherence to the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans Compared with the Mediterranean Diet in Relation to Risk of Prediabetes: Results from NHANES 2007-2016. Nutrients. 2023 Aug 11;15(16):3546. doi.org/10.3390/nu15163546