Association of major dietary patterns with obesity, hypertension, and cognitive function in older adults: A cross-sectional study.

Background: There is limited data on the association between dietary patterns and health outcomes in older adults. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of major dietary patterns with obesity, hypertension, and cognitive function in this population. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of major dietary patterns with obesity, hypertension, and cognitive function in older adults.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 337 participants aged 60 years or older. Dietary data were collected using a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Data regarding height, weight, waist circumference (WC), and blood pressure were collected using standard methods. Obesity was defined as body mass index (BMI)≥30 kg/m², and abdominal obesity was defined as WC≥95 cm for men and women. Hypertension was defined as blood pressure≥140/90 mm Hg or taking anti-hypertensive medications. Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score validated for Iranians, was applied to assess cognitive function. Dietary patterns were identified using factor analysis procedure.

Results: Three major dietary patterns including mixed, healthy, and unhealthy were identified. There was an inverse association between the mixed dietary pattern and both abdominal obesity (odds ratio [OR]: 0.39, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.20-0.76) and general obesity (OR: 0.49, 95% CI: 0.24-0.99). A higher score of mixed pattern was also associated with lower odds of hypertension (OR: 0.39, 95% CI: 0.20-0.78). Moreover, a significant positive association was observed between unhealthy dietary pattern and hypertension (OR: 1.86, 95% CI: 1.01-3.43). A significant positive association was also observed between the unhealthy dietary pattern and abdominal obesity (OR: 1.90, 95% CI: 1.05-3.44).

Conclusion: Our findings underscore that higher consumption of certain types of healthy foods (loaded strongly in mixed dietary pattern) could be a viable strategy for prevention of obesity and hypertension.