Relationship between a Low-Carbohydrate, High-Fat Diet and Risk of Metabolic Syndrome in Korean Women.

BACKGROUND: Prevalence of metabolic syndrome with aging is higher in women than in men, and it increases after menopause. Interventions to reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome in women are important. A low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet is effective in weight loss and improvement cardiovascular risk factors including abdominal circumference, blood pressure, and blood lipid profile. We aimed to determine the relationship between a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet and the risk of metabolic syndrome in Korean women.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted using secondary data from the 2014-2018 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Overall, 8,222 women aged >19 yr were included. The effect of a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet on the risk of metabolic syndrome was analyzed by multiple logistic regression analysis using a complex sampling procedure.

RESULTS: The diet significantly reduced the likelihood of metabolic syndrome development ( P =0.044). In addition, regardless of the fat type, the diet significantly reduced the likelihood of low high-density lipoprotein cholesterolemia (low-carbohydrate, high-total fat, P =0.013; low-carbohydrate, high-unsaturated fat, P =0.006; low-carbohydrate, high-saturated fat, P =0.006).

CONCLUSION: A low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet is an important intervention that can reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome, and the reduced consumption of carbohydrates can decrease the risk of low high-density lipoprotein cholesterolemia regardless of fat type. Therefore, it is necessary to actively explore the potential of this diet, targeting Asians, including Koreans.