Association between Mediterranean Diet and Type 2 Diabetes: Multiple Cross-Sectional Analyses

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Epidemiology
• Metabolic Health
• Chronic Disease Prevention

Background:

• The Mediterranean diet (MD) is associated with numerous health benefits, including reduced risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D).
• However, evidence regarding its effectiveness in non-Mediterranean populations remains less conclusive.
• This study investigates the MD-T2D association in a Swiss cohort.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with lower prevalence or risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D).
• To evaluate this association within a non-Mediterranean population using longitudinal data.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional analysis of three follow-ups (FU1, FU2, FU3) from the Colaus|PsyCoLaus study in Lausanne, Switzerland.
• Two Mediterranean diet scores (MD1 and MD2) were calculated based on participant dietary data.
• Type 2 diabetes (T2D) was defined by fasting plasma glucose levels or antidiabetic medication use.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in Mediterranean diet scores were observed between participants with and without type 2 diabetes (T2D) across all follow-ups.
• Multivariable analysis revealed no statistically significant association between adherence to the Mediterranean diet (using either MD1 or MD2 scores) and the odds of having T2D.
• Odds ratios for medium and high adherence relative to low adherence were consistently non-significant for both MD scores across FU1, FU2, and FU3.

Conclusions:

• Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was not associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in this Swiss, non-Mediterranean population.
• These findings suggest that the protective effects of the Mediterranean diet on T2D may be population-specific or context-dependent.
• Further research is needed to understand the interplay of dietary patterns, genetics, and environment in T2D development.