Association of dietary insulinaemic potential and odds of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease among adults: A case-control study.

Saneie S

Sohouli MH(1)(2), Sayyari AA(3), Lari A(2), Nameni G(2), Lotfi M(4), Fatahi S(1)(3), Saneie S(2), Găman MA(5)(6), Moodi F(7), Raee P(8), Aghamiri S(9), Rayi A(10), Shahriari A(11), Moodi V(12).
Author information:
(1)Student Research Committee, Faculty of Public Health Branch, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
(2)Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
(3)Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition Research Center, Research Institute for Children's Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
(4)Department of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
(5)"Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania.
(6)Center of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Fundeni Clinical Institute, Bucharest, Romania.
(7)School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
(8)Department of Biology and Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
(9)Department of medical biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
(10)Department of Neurology, Charleston Area Medical Center Charleston, Charleston, WV, USA.
(11)Roozbeh Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
(12)School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jhn.12865

BACKGROUND: Hyperinsulinaemia is considered as a major risk factor for the development of a myriad of chronic diseases. We examined the association between the dietary insulinaemic potential and the odds of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) among Iranian adults. METHODS: After being subjected to a liver ultrasound, 166 patients with NAFLD and 200 controls were included in the study. The dietary intakes and the physical activity levels of the participants were evaluated using a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (short IPAQ), respectively. The insulinaemic potential of the diet was assessed by computing the scores of the Empirical Dietary Index for Hyperinsulinemia (EDIH) and the Empirical Dietary Index for Insulin Resistance (EDIR). RESULTS: Compared with the control subjects, patients with NAFLD were significantly older; had higher values for body mass index, fasting blood sugar, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol and alanine transaminase; and were more likely to smoke. Moreover, NAFLD patients had significant lower levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and were less likely to perform physical activity. The risk of NAFLD was higher in the individuals in the highest tertile of the EDIH (odds ratio [OR] = 2.79; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.32-5.90; p value for trend < 0.05) and EDIR (OR = 2.42; 95% CI = 1.22-4.79; p value for trend < 0.05) compared to those in the lowest tertile of these scores. CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicates that a higher dietary insulinaemic potential is associated with an increased risk of NAFLD.