The relationship between food insecurity with cardiovascular risk markers and metabolic syndrome components in patients with diabetes: A population‑based study from Kerman coronary artery disease risk study

Background: we sought the prevalence of food insecurity and whether cardiovascular risk markers and metabolic syndrome components are significantly different in categories of food insecurity in patients with type 2 diabetes. materials and methods: in this cross‑sectional study,520 patients with type 2 diabetes from the kerman coronary artery disease risk study aged between 23 and 87 years (60.8 ± 11.4) who selected by one‑stage cluster sampling were assigned into four groups of “food secure” and “mild,” “moderate,” and “severe” food insecure. household food insecurity was assessed by a 9‑item household food insecurity access scale questionnaire. results: the prevalence of food security and mild,moderate,and severe food insecurity in patients with diabetes was 24.4%,33.1%,28.9%,and 13.6%,respectively. there was a significant difference among the food‑secure/insecure sex groups (p = 0.001). the prevalence of food insecurity and risk factors such as total cholesterol,high low‑density lipoprotein cholesterol,and visceral obesity in mild food‑insecure females was significantly higher than males (p < 0.001,0.001,and 0.001,respectively). the fasting blood sugar significantly increased (p = 0.020) in diabetic females with food security than the other female groups. diastolic blood pressure significantly increased (p = 0.028) in diabetic females with severe food insecurity than the other female groups. the glycosylated hemoglobin significantly increased (p = 0.013) in diabetic males with severe food insecurity than the other male groups. food insecurity odds ratio in females was 1.74 (95% confidence interval [ci]: 1.10–2.70),2.39 (95% ci: 1.48–3.88),and 2.73 (95% ci: 1.49–5.01) times higher than in males for mild,moderate,and severe food insecurity,respectively. conclusion: food insecurity may deteriorate some cardiometabolic biomarkers in type 2 diabetes. improving food security in patients with diabetes may help reduce cardiovascular disease. © 2017 journal of research in medical sciences.