Dietary glycemic index, glycemic load and blood lipid levels in middle-aged Japanese men and women.
OBJECTIVE
This study investigated the association between dietary glycemic index (GI)/glycemic load (GL) and serum lipids in middle-aged Japanese men and women.


METHODS
The study participants were employees of a metal products factory in Japan: 2,257 men and 1,598 women aged 35 years or older. Dietary GI and GL were assessed using a self-administered diet history questionnaire. Serum lipid levels, adjusted for age, body mass index, alcohol consumption, smoking, physical activity, menopause status, and dietary intake of total energy, saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, cholesterol and fiber, were compared among GI/GL quintiles for each gender.


RESULTS
No significant associations were observed between GI and adjusted serum lipids in men or women. In contrast, GL was inversely associated with HDL-cholesterol in men and women (p for trend=0.001 for men and < 0.001 for women), and positively associated with non-HDL-cholesterol (p for trend=0.010), LDL-cholesterol (p for trend=0.035) and triglycerides (p for trend=0.011) in women; however, alcohol drinking affected these associations; there was no association between GL and serum lipids in male nondrinkers and between GL and LDL-cholesterol in female nondrinkers.


CONCLUSIONS
GL was inversely associated with HDL-cholesterol and positively associated with non-HDL-cholesterol in Japanese women. These associations in men were not observed in nondrinkers. A high-GL diet for women may have an atherogenic effect through these serum lipid abnormalities.
Nakashima
Motoko
M
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Kanazawa Medical University, 1-1 Daigaku, Ishikawa, Japan. motoko-n@kanazawa-med.ac.jp
Sakurai
Masaru
M
Nakamura
Koshi
K
Miura
Katsuyuki
K
Yoshita
Katsushi
K
Morikawa
Yuko
Y
Ishizaki
Masao
M
Murakami
Kentaro
K
Kido
Teruhiko
T
Naruse
Yuchi
Y
Sasaki
Satoshi
S
Nakagawa
Hideaki
H
D044466:Asian People; D004032:Diet; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D005260:Female; D038321:Glycemic Index; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D008055:Lipids