Association between Mediterranean diet adherence and dyslipidemia among type-2 diabetes mellitus patients in Dhaka, Bangladesh: a hospital-based study

Mediterranean diet (MD) adherence is critical for an individual's physical and mental health. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death in Bangladesh and are closely associated with diabetes mellitus (DM) and dyslipidemia. This study aims to determine the level of adherence to the MD among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and identify any association between poor adherence to the MD and dyslipidemia.

This facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital from March to May 2021. A total of 251 T2DM patients were interviewed. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were carried out using a logistic regression model with SPSS 23 statistical package software.

The prevalence of dyslipidaemia was 83% among T2DM patients. There was a high prevalence of hypertension (61%), overweight or obesity (57%), cardiovascular problems (30%), kidney disease (19%), and sleep problems (28%). Low adherence to MD was highly prevalent (49%) among participants, and another 28% had medium adherence. Patients with poor MD adherence had higher odds of developing dyslipidaemia (AOR: 2.8, 95% CI 1.18–6.63). Normal-weighted patients had lower odds of developing dyslipidaemia (AOR: 0.40, 95% CI 0.18–0.89) compared to overweight or obese individuals.

There was a relatively low adherence to MD among T2DM patients, which is a significant predictor of dyslipidemia. Therefore, T2DM patients should be more conscious of their dietary habits to control dyslipidemia and cardiovascular diseases effectively.