The comparison of dietary intake of macronutrients in polycystic ovary syndrome with and without metabolic syndrome

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder in reproductive age women. The prevalence of PCOS among Iranian women is 14.6% based on the Rotterdam definition. PCOS can increase the risk of chronic metabolic complications. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is one of the most important of them. Insulin resistance is fundamental in PCOS and MetS pathophysiology. MetS is a collection of chronic metabolic derangements, which promotes the risk of serious diseases such as cardiovascular disturbances and diabetes. The quality of diet is inversely correlated with obesity, which is one of the consequences of PCOS and it is a risk factor for metabolic syndrome. As the first study, the present study aimed to compare the dietary intake of macronutrients in PCOS women with and without MetS. Methods: In this nested case-control study, the convenience sampling method was used to select participants. The case group included 14 PCOS patients with MetS and the control group included 28 PCOS patients without MetS. The investigated macronutrients included fats (total fat, saturated fatty acids, mono and polyunsaturated fats, trans fatty acids), carbohydrate, protein, and fibers (total and soluble). The dietary intake assessment was carried out by a 168-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). This study was performed on Arash Women's Hospital under support of Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran, from August 2014 to September 2015. Results: Dietary intake of total fat was significantly higher in PCOS women with MetS than the control group (P<0.001, 146.62±45.17 vs. 59.91±32.79 g/d). Dietary intake of saturated fatty acids (P=0.004, 11.44±11.08 vs. 19.73±6.76 g/d), monounsaturated fats (P<0.001, 14.15±12.66 vs. 26.16±7.76 g/d), polyunsaturated fats (P=0.002, 9.02±9.18 vs. 17.22±6.45 g/d), carbohydrate (P<0.001, 182.34±121.08 vs. 365.64±77.11 g/d), protein (P=0.001, 42.74±42.85 vs. 78.06±24.04 g/d), total fiber (P<0.001, 17.77±15.09 vs. 35.97±22.64 g/d) was significantly lower in PCOS women with MetS than the control group. All results are expressed in terms of grams consumed per day. Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that dietary intake of macronutrients was significantly different in polycystic ovary syndrome patients with and without metabolic syndrome.