Systems Nutrology of Persons with Tuberculosis Identifies Specific Dietary Profiles Associated with Dysglycemia

Abstract

Objective: Dietary pattern may be associated with overall nutritional status that can alter the risk of tuberculosis (TB) disease. This complex interaction can be further intricated by additional metabolic comorbidities such as dysglycemia (diabetes or prediabetes). This study aimed at identifying dietary pattern associated with dysglycemia in TB patients. Research Methods & Procedures: A prospective cohort study of TB patients and their household contacts was conducted between February and November 2017 in Lima, Peru. Among the 269 patients, 85 were considered healthy, 48 had dysglycemia, 75 had TB and 61 had TB-dysglycemia. Food intake was collected using a food frequency questionnaire and a Systems Nutrology analytical approach was employed to identify dietary pattern associated with these groups. Potential associations between clinical factors and dietary pattern were also analyzed.Results: Three dietary patterns were identified based on the food intake profile of the study participants. Normoglycemic TB patients more often had the dietary pattern 1, while healthy individuals more frequently presented with the dietary pattern 2 and persons with TB-dysglycemia were more represented in the dietary pattern 3. Conclusion: TB-dysglycemia was mainly associated with the increased intakes of rice and cereals, fast food and oils. The identification of distinct dietary patterns involved with TB and dysglycemia may help to guide nutritional interventions to optimize patient care.