Dietary Patterns and Their Associations With the and Gene Variants Among Emirati Adults.

To examine the dietary patterns and their associations with the FTO and FGF21 gene variants among Emirati adults. Using a cross-sectional design, healthy adult male and female Emiratis ( = 194) were recruited from primary health care centers in Sharjah, UAE. Participants completed a 61-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. In addition, a saliva sample was obtained for the genetic analysis. Genotyping was performed for >> > , and > . Dietary patterns were derived using the principal component analysis. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine the association of dietary patterns with genetic variants. Three dietary patterns were identified: "Western": consisting of fast food, sweets, and processed meat; "Traditional Emirati" rich in vegetables, traditional Emirati-mixed-dishes and whole dairy; while whole grains, low-fat dairy, and bulgur were components of the "Prudent" pattern. Subjects carrying the A allele of the were 2.41 times more likely to adhere to the Western pattern compared to subjects with genotype TT (OR:2.41; 95%CI:1.05-5.50). Compared with subjects with A/A, those carrying the G allele of the were more likely to follow a Western diet (OR: 2.19; 95%CI: 1.00-4.97). Participants carrying the risk allele (A) of the were twice more likely to adhere to the Traditional pattern as compared to subjects with genotype GG (OR: 1.9, 95%CI: 1.01-3.57). The findings of this study suggested associations among specific and gene variants with dietary patterns among Emirati adults. These findings could be used to inform evidence-based targeted nutrition preventive recommendations, especially those aiming to limit intake of western type foods.