Pulse Consumption and Metabolic Syndrome: Findings from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos

Background/Objectives: Metabolic syndrome affects half of middle-aged (ages 45-64) Hispanic or Latino (Latino) adults. Pulses, fiber-rich plant proteins common in Latino diets (e.g., dry beans and lentils), may mitigate metabolic syndrome. We evaluated the association between pulse intake and metabolic syndrome. Methods: We analyzed data from 6,958 adults aged ≥ 50 in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (2008-2011) Visit 1. Pulse intake was assessed using two 24 h dietary recalls and categorized into no, low (<1/2 cup), moderate (≥1/2 to 3/4 cup), and high pulse (>3/4 cup) daily intake groups. Metabolic syndrome was defined by criteria including blood pressure ≥130/85 mmHg or medication use, triglycerides ≥150 mg/dL or medication use, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (men <40 mg/dL and women <50 mg/dL), and waist circumference (men ≥102 cm and women ≥88 cm). We used multivariate logistic regression models with predicted probability proportions to assess the association adjusted for sociodemographic factors, acculturation, diet quality, energy intake, and physical activity. Results: Of the 6,958 participants, 53.1% had metabolic syndrome and 53.4% had a moderate or high pulse intake. Pulse intake varied, where 19.4% had a high intake, 33.9% had a moderate intake, 12.5% had a low intake, and 34.2% had no intake. Moderate (predicted marginal = 0.52, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.49, 0.55) and high (predicted marginal = 0.49, 95%CI = 0.45, 0.53) intakes were associated with a lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome. Conclusions: Among Latino adults ≥50 years old, a moderate or high pulse intake was associated with a lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome. Increasing the pulse intake in the population may be linked to reduced metabolic syndrome.