Dietary patterns and food groups are linked to the risk of urinary tract tumors in Argentina.

Epidemiological and laboratory research has shown that dietary components are associated with the risk of developing urinary tract tumors (UTT). The purpose of this case-control study, carried out between 2004 and 2008 in Córdoba, a Mediterranean city in Argentina, was to describe the role of dietary patterns and to investigate any association with the risk of developing UTT. One hundred and sixty-eight patients with histologically confirmed transitional UTT and 334 controls with acute, nonneoplastic, and nonurinary tract diseases from the same hospitals were studied. All patients were interviewed about their food habits and their exposure to a number of known or suspected risk factors for UTT. Multiple correspondence analysis was used to explore dietary patterns and data analyses were carried out by calculating odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals by using multiple logistic regression. Two main dietary patterns identified were a 'prudent' pattern that was linked to controls and a 'western' pattern that was associated with cases. A frequent intake of vegetable oils, lean meats, grains, and fruits, the moderate use of alcohol (mainly red wine) together with potato and sweet consumption, and the habit of taking at least four meals per day, were associated with a reduced risk for UTT. In contrast, frequent consumption of infusions (mainly maté), potatoes, alcohol, sweets, and processed meat resulted in a high risk for UTT. The dietary patterns of our population have a role in the development of UTT, thus implying that appropriate nutritional education may decrease this risk.