Adherence to the American Heart Association Recommended Healthy Diet and Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in Male Japanese Workers

Objective: The American Heart Association-recommended healthy diet (AHA-HD) is one of 7 ideal cardiovascular health metrics. Few studies have focused on use of the AHA-HD in Asian subjects. This study reports on the prevalence of adherence to the AHA-HD and examines the association between adherence to this diet and the risk for metabolic syndrome in male Japanese workers. Design: A cross-sectional study provided data from 508 male workers, aged 25 to 63 years. Participants completed a 58-item brieftype, self-administered dietary history questionnaire. The AHA-HD score include 8 components (fruits and vegetables, fish, whole grains, salt, sugar-sweetened beverages, processed meat, legumes, and saturated fatty acids). Results: The AHA-HD score of all subjects ranged from 0 to 7; no participant had a full score for all 8 components. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was significantly lower in subjects with high adherence to AHA-HD (met ≥4 components) than in those with low adherence (21.8% vs. 30.1%, respectively). High adherence to the AHA-HD was significantly associated with a low prevalence of metabolic syndrome (OR, 0.64; 95%CI, 0.42-0.97; p=0.038) after adjustment for age, total energy intake, smoking habit, and alcohol drinking. Conclusions: Improving adherence to the AHA-HD recommendations may be an effective approach to promoting better health. Achievement of eating behaviors that meet ≥4 components of the AHA-HD may lead to a reduction in the risk for metabolic syndrome.