Association between Dietary Patterns and Serum Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol in Japanese Women and Men: The Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort (J-MICC) Study

Aims: The association between dietary patterns and serum low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol would be changing in recent dietary habits in Japan. We investigated the relationship between dietary patterns and serum LDL cholesterol in a large general population. Methods: From the baseline survey of Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort Study between 2005 and 2013, 27,237 participants (13,994 were women) aged 35–69 years were cross-sectionally analyzed. Using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire, five major sex-specific dietary patterns were identified using factor analysis. We assessed serum LDL cholesterol by quintiles of dietary pattern factor score. Results: We identified dietary patterns; “vegetable rich pattern” , “meat and fried food rich pattern” and “high bread and low rice pattern” in women and men; “fish and shellfish rich pattern” and “high confectioneries and low alcohol pattern” in men; “healthy Japanese diet pattern” and “high alcohol and low rice pattern” in women. Serum LDL cholesterol in men was associated with “high bread and low rice pattern” score (Q5 was 4.2 mg/dL higher than Q1,p for trend ＜0.001) and “high confectioneries and low alcohol pattern” scores (Q5 was 9.5 mg/dL higher than Q1,p for trend ＜0.001). In women, serum LDL cholesterol was associated with “high bread and low rice pattern” score (Q5 was 7.1 mg/dL higher than Q1,p for trend ＜0.001). Conclusion: Some recent dietary patterns in Japan were associated with serum LDL cholesterol. Serum LDL cholesterol was associated with high bread and low rice pattern in both sex, and high confectioneries and low alcohol pattern in men.