The association between dietary carbohydrate intake and the risk of hyperlipidemia among reproductive-aged women in the US: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background

The association between dietary carbohydrate intake and hyperlipidemia remained incompletely understood. This study aimed to explore the association between dietary carbohydrate intake and the risk of hyperlipidemia among reproductive-aged women in the US.

Methods

The study utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted from 2005 to 2020. Dietary intake information was assessed via interviews using 24-hour dietary recall interviews, and hyperlipidemia diagnosis adhered to the National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses, along with restricted cubic splines (RCS) and stratified analyses, were conducted to investigate the association between dietary carbohydrate intake and the risk of hyperlipidemia.

Results

A total of 6,791 women of reproductive age, with a mean age of 34.87 (±8.57) years, were included in the final analysis. In the multivariate logistic regression model adjusting for covariates, a higher percentage of energy from carbohydrate was positively correlated with the risk of hyperlipidemia (adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 1.014, 95% CI: 1.004–1.024). Analyzing the percentage of energy from carbohydrate as a categorical variable, compared to the lowest quartile, the third quartile (AOR: 1.263, 95% CI: 1.031–1.546) and the highest quartile (AOR: 1.411, 95% CI: 1.083–1.839) were associated with increased hyperlipidemia risk. Additionally, a linear relationship ( P for nonlinearity = 0.088) existed between the percentage of energy from carbohydrate and the risk of hyperlipidemia, with an inflection point identified at 49.64.

Conclusions

This study found that elevated dietary carbohydrate intake was associated with an increased the risk of hyperlipidemia in reproductive-aged women. These findings implied that reproductive-aged women should pay closer attention to reducing their carbohydrate intake.