THE ASSOCIATION OF DIETARY PATTERNS WITH SERUM CORTISOL IN TYPE 2 DIABETIC PATIENTS

Physiological stress may affect eating habits and also foods intake may alter the physiological stress. According to the reports of high levels of serum cortisol as a stress biomarker in type 2 diabetic patients; the aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between dietary patterns and serum cortisol concentration in type 2 diabetic patents. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 241 type 2 diabetic patients in 2013. Major dietary patterns were obtained by factor analysis. Serum cortisol was measured at 8 am. Serum cortisol level was compared among tertiles of dietary patterns using ANCOVA adjusted for confounders (age, sex, BMI, and fasting blood glucose). Linear regression analysis was performed to assess the association between serum cortisol and scores of dietary patterns. Three major dietary patterns were identified as Western, healthy and healthy like. None of the variables age, waist circumference, body mass index, physical activity level, duration of diabetes and fasting blood glucose was significantly associated with serum cortisol. After adjustment for confounders, no statistically significant difference was found in mean serum cortisol among tertiles of dietary patterns or no statistically significant association between serum cortisol and dietary patterns scores. Mean serum cortisol was 12.95±5.10 nmol/L which was in normal range. This study showed that in type 2 diabetic patients, normal levels of serum cortisol were not associated with the adherence to Western, Healthy and Healthy like dietary patterns.