Healthy Eating Index-2010 and Mediterranean-Style Dietary Pattern Score and the risk of colorectal cancer and adenoma: a case–control study

Abstract

Background: Several studies have examined the relationship between diet quality indices and colorectal cancer (CRC). However, data on the association of these indices and colorectal adenomas (CRA) as a precursor of CRC are scarce. Our objective was to investigate the association of Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2010) and Mediterranean-Style Dietary Pattern Score (MSDPS) with CRC and CRA risk.

Methods: This is a hospital-based case–control study including 259 cases (129 CRC and 130 CRA patients) and 240 controls with non-neoplastic conditions. Dietary intake of subjects was examined using a valid and reliable food frequency questionnaire. The HEI-2010 and MSDPS were then calculated based on a-priori methods. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to estimate the relationship between HEI-2010 and MSDPS and the risk of CRC and CRA.

Results: After adjustment for confounders, compared with the first tertiles, the highest tertiles of HEI-2010 and MSDPS were significantly associated with lower odds of CRC (OR = 0.04; 95% CI = 0.01–0.12, OR = 0.19; 95% CI = 0.09–0.38, respectively). Similarly, the highest tertiles of HEI-2010 (OR = 0.04; 95% CI = 0.08–0.32) and MSDPS (OR = 0.19; 95% CI = 0.17–0.58) were associated with reduced odds of CRA compared to the lowest tertiles.

Conclusion: The findings of this study suggested that a high-quality diet assessed by HEI-2010 and MSDPS is inversely associated with the risk of CRC and CRA.

Acknowledgments

We thank all study subjects without whom the conduct of this study would have been impossible.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflict of interest.

Authors’ contributions

S.J.N., E.H., and A.H. contributed in study design. S.J.N., P.R., A.B., A.S., and H.A.A. had parts in data collection. S.J.N., B.R., and M.G. assisted in data analysis. S.J.N., E.H., and F.N. prepared the manuscript. A.H., A.S., and H.A.A. reviewed the paper and revised it to the final format. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences [grant No. 311/1047].