Original Source

The risk of urinary tract infection in vegetarians and non-vegetarians: a prospective study

Scientific Reports

Volume: 10: 906

30 JAN 2020

Chen, Y. C., Chang, C. C., Chiu, T. H. T., Lin, M. N., & Lin, C. L.

12

Yes

From the source: "This work was supported by a grant from the Department of Health in Taiwan (grant number: DOH94-TD-F-113–044) for cohort establishment, and by grants (grant numbers: TCMMPSP104-08-02, TCMMP105-13-05, TCMMP106-04-01) from the Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation for cohort follow-ups and linkage to the National Health Insurance Research Database."

From the source: "The authors declare no competing interests."
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Summary

This study found that in the Taiwanese study population, a vegetarian diet was protectively associated with urinary tract infections (UTI). Vegetarians had a significantly reduced risk for uncomplicated UTIs. This association was especially strong for persons who never smoked. Strengths of this study are the large number of participants and the follow-up time of ten years, as well as the presentation of four different models with the inclusion of different factors potentially connected to UTIs. Among the limitations of this study are the usage of food frequency questionnaires, which can be prone to misestimation. Furthermore, the definition of UTI was based on disease codes, rather than the clinical standard. In conclusion, the authors highlight how a “vegetarian diet is protectively associated with UTI particularly in females and for uncomplicated UTI”.

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is caused principally by ascending Escherichia coli infection via an intestine-stool-urethra route. Recent studies found that the strains of E. coli causing UTIs, called extra-intestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC), were distinct from the intestinal pathogenic strains and normal commensal strains. Further analysis found the meat including poultry and pork is the major reservoir for ExPECs. Vegetarians avoid meat and should theoretically have less exposure to ExPEC. However, no study thus far has examined whether vegetarian diets reduce the risk of UTI. Our aim was to examine the association between vegetarian diet and UTI risk in a Taiwanese Buddhist population. We prospectively followed 9724 Buddhists free of UTI from 2005 to 2014. During the 10-year follow-up, 661 incident UTI cases were confirmed. Diet was assessed through a food frequency questionnaire. Cox regression was used to evaluate the prospective association between a vegetarian diet on risk of UTI while adjusting for age, sex, educational level, alcohol-drinking, smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, and disease conditions predisposing to UTIs. Overall, vegetarian diet was associated with 16% lower hazards (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.84, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.71–0.99). In subgroup analysis, the protective association between vegetarian diet and UTI is observed mainly in the female (HR: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.69–0.99), never smokers (HR: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.67–0.95), and for uncomplicated UTI (HR: 0.81, 95% CI: 0.68–0.98).