Our study suggests that the consumption of a diet consistent with the principles of the Mediterranean-style diet may protect against metabolic syndrome in Americans.

Previous Mediterranean diet scores were simple to apply but may not be appropriate for non-Mediterranean populations. We developed a Mediterranean-Style Dietary Pattern Score (MSDPS) to assess the conformity of an individual's diet to a traditional Mediterranean-style diet. The MSDPS is based on the recommended intakes of 13 food groups in the Mediterranean diet pyramid. Each food group is scored from 0 to 10 depending on the degree of correspondence with recommendations. Exceeding the recommendations results in a lower score proportional to the degree of overconsumption. The sum of the component scores is standardized to a 0-100 scale and weighted by the proportion of energy consumed from Mediterranean diet foods. We applied the MSDPS to dietary data collected at the 7th examination of the Framingham Offspring Cohort and tested the content validity of the score against selected nutrients known to be associated with the Mediterranean-style dietary pattern. The mean MSDPS was 24.8 (range, 3.1-60.7). Participants with a higher MSDPS were more likely to be women, older, multivitamin users, to have lower BMI and waist circumferences, and less likely to be current smokers. The MSDPS demonstrated content validity through expected positive associations with intakes of dietary fiber, (n-3) fatty acids, antioxidant vitamins, calcium, magnesium, and potassium, and inverse associations with those of added sugar, glycemic index, saturated fat, and trans-fat, and the (n-6):(n-3) fatty acid ratio. The MSDPS is a useful instrument to measure overall diet quality according to the principles of a Mediterranean-style dietary pattern.

Improved insulin sensitivity may be one mechanism by which higher dietary magnesium intake may reduce the risk of developing type 2 DM.

AbstrakPenelitian dengan desain potong lintang ini bertujuan untuk menguji hubungan antara kadar kolesterol total dengan tekanan darah. Data dikumpulkan pada 14 _ 21 Juni 2011, terhadap 51 subjek penelitian berusia > 30 tahun yang tidak mengonsumsi obat antihipertensi ataupun antikolesterol, dipilih secara consecutive antara pengunjung Puskesmas Kelurahan Joglo-II, Jakarta. Tekanan darah diukur dengan sfigmomanometer sesuai pedoman baku. Kadar kolesterol total darah sewaktu diukur dari sampel darah tepi dengan alat tes kolesterol. Analisis data menggunakan regresi linier, korelasi Pearson dan General Linear Model dengan koreksi Bonferroni. Pada 51 responden (nilai tengah usia 50 tahun, 70,6% perempuan), rerata kadar kolesterol total adalah 200 mg/dL dan rerata tekanan darah adalah 135/84 mmHg. Pada faktor perancu yang disetarakan, kadar kolesterol total yang tinggi berhubungan dengan tingginya tekanan darah sistolik (r = 0,39; nilai p = 0,005) ataupun diastolik (r = 0,43; nilai p = 0,002). Responden pada kelompok kuartil ketiga total kolesterol memiliki tekanan darah 26/11 mmHg lebih tinggi secara bermakna dibandingkan mereka pada kelompok kuartil kedua (nilai p = 0,001 dan nilai p = 0,002 berturut-turut untuk tekanan darah sistolik dan diastolik). Menjaga kadar kolesterol total dalam batas normal merupakan salah satu upaya untuk mencegah hipertensi. Kata kunci: Kadar kolesterol total, tekanan darah, hipertensi AbstractThis cross-sectional study was aimed to examine the association between total cholesterol levels and blood pressures. Data was collected on June 14 _ 21, 2011, among 51 subjects, aged > 30 years, who were taking neither antihypertensive nor anticholesterol drug, consecutively selected among peoples attending Joglo-II Sub-district Primary Health Center, Jakarta. Blood pressures were measured using a manual sphygmomanometer according to the standard protocols. Peripheral blood samples were collected and non-fasting total cholesterol were assessed using a cholesterol-test kit. Analyses were perfomed using linear regression, Pearson correlation, and General Linear Model (with Bonferroni correction). In 51 respondents (median age 50 years, 70.6% female), mean total cholesterol level was 200 mg/dL and blood pressure were 135/84 mmHg. After adjustment for confounding factors, higher total cholesterol levels were associated with higher systolic (r = 0.39; p value = 0.005) or diastolic (r = 0.43; p value = 0.002) blood pressures. Participant in the third quartile category had blood pressures 26/11 mmHg significantly higher than that of those in the second quartile category (p value = 0,001 and p value = 0,002 for sistolic and diastolic blood pressures, respectively). Maintaining total cholesterol levels within the normal limits may be one way to prevent hypertension. Keywords: Total cholesterol, blood pressure, hypertension PendahuluanHipertensi adalah salah satu penyakit yang umum melanda di dunia dan merupakan faktor risiko penting untuk penyakit jantung serta kontributor utama mortalitas dan morbiditas ...