The Association between Nutrient Patterns and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Case-Control Study

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine abnormality among reproductive-aged women. This study aimed to investigate the relevance of major nutrient patterns and PCOS. Methods: This age-body mass index (BMI) matched case-control study was conducted among 216 women with and without PCOS. The validated 178-items food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used for driving nutrient patterns. Logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between nutrient patterns and odds of PCOS. Results: Four major nutrient patterns were identified (65% of the variances of nutrient intake), including factor 1) high in carbohydrate, saturated fatty acids (SFA), total fat, and low in Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), factor 2) high loadings of SFA, cholesterol, vitamin D, total fat, and total fiber, factor 3) high in total fiber, EPA, DHA, chrome, vitamin C, vitamin D, and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), and factor 4) high loaded by fat, sodium, SFA, and low in vitamin D. Factor 1 and factor 4 nutrient patterns significantly increased the odds of PCOS (OR = 7.42; 95% CI 2.86, 18.1; Ptrend < 0.001) and (OR = 11.32; 95% CI 4.3, 29.97; Ptrend < 0.001), respectively. Also, the moderate adherence to factor 3 nutrient pattern had a protective effect on odds of PCOS (OR = 0.77; 95% CI 0.39, 0.98; Ptrend = 0.04). Conclusion: It was found that factor 1 nutrient pattern increased the odds of PCOS and factor 3 nutrient pattern decreased the risk of PCOS. More prospective studies are required to confirm the study findings.