The association between fast-food consumption with cardiovascular diseases risk factors and kidney function in patients with diabetic nephropathy

Fast food consumption (FFC) has been raised as a risk factor for cardiometabolic outcomes and renal function disorders. The present study aimed to investigate the association between FFC and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and renal function among patients with diabetic nephropathy (DN).

This cross-sectional study was conducted among 397 randomly enrolled patients with DN. A validated 168 food items food frequency questionnaire was used for measuring FFC. Weight, waist,height, fasting blood sugar (FBS), hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C), serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen(BUN), hs-CRP, systolic blood pressure(SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and lipid profile concentrations were measured. Generalized linear model analysis of covariance was used to compare means of BP, biochemical and anthropometric factors across tertiles of FFC adjusted for potential confounders.

The mean weekly intakes of fast food were 130 ± 60 grams. Patients in the highest compared to the lowest tertiles of FFC were more likely to be overweight and obese, had higher levels of creatinine, SBP, and DBP in the unadjusted model (P<0.05). In the adjusted models, DN patients in the highest vs lowest tertiles of FFC had higher levels of SBP and DBP (P=<0.001).

Higher consumption of fast food is associated with higher levels of both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in DN patients. The present study observed no significant differences between the highest versus the lowest tertiles of FFC for waist, FBS, HbA1C, serum creatinine, BUN, hs-CRP, and lipid profile concentrations.