Association of dietary acid load with cardiovascular risk factors and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in Iranian women: A cross-sectional study.

Abstract

Acid-base status, which can be affected by dietary acid load (DAL), has been associated with risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and metabolic syndrome (MetS). Given the limited published literature on DAL, the aim of this study was to examine the association between DAL and risk factors for CVD and prevalence of MetS in young women. This was a cross-sectional study conducted with 371 women (20-50 y of age). Dietary intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. DAL was evaluated through potential renal acid load (PRAL) and net endogenous acid production (NEAP). The associations between DAL (both PRAL and NEAP) with categories of biochemical factors (fasting blood sugar, triacylglycerol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol), anthropometric parameters (body mass index and waist circumference) and the prevalence of MetS based on the National Cholesterol Education Program's Adult Treatment Panel III) were assessed using binary logistic regression in crude and adjusted models. The median values of PRAL and NEAP were 8.93 and 46.77 mEq/d, respectively. After adjustment for several covariates, a significant positive association was observed between PRAL and serum triglyceride levels (odds ratio [OR], 4.28; 95% CI, 1.67-10.99; P = 0.002). Moreover, there were positive associations between NEAP with overweight and obesity (body mass index ≥25 kg/m2; OR, 3.07; 95% CI, 1.92-4.93; P = 0.0001), waist circumference (OR, 2.27; 95% CI, 1.37-3.75; P= 0.001), and serum triglyceride levels (OR, 4.92; 95% CI, 1.87-12.92; P= 0.001). Compared with women with a low DAL score, women with a higher DAL score had higher weight, waist circumference, and triglyceride concentrations.