Dietary inflammatory index and its association with blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, and lipid profiles in cardiovascular disease subjects

Many studies reported the role of dietary intake as an important trigger of inflammation conditions linked to the development of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). This study aimed to investigate the association between dietary inflammatory index (DII) and blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, and lipid profiles in a cross-sectional study of 74 Indonesian adults with CVD in Malang, Indonesia. A validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (SQFFQ) from 178 food items was used to analyze macro-and micronutrient intakes computed into the DII score. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures were measured. The blood samples were collected to measure fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) data. The association of all independent variables and the DII scores were analyzed using linear regression and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). All the dietary intake data (energy, protein, fat, carbohydrate, cholesterol, iron, dietary fiber, carotene, PUFA, vitamin B9, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E and magnesium; all p<0.05) were significantly different among tertiles of DII score except for vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, and zinc. All dietary intakes were higher in participants who had lower DII scores. Among all the independent variables, the DII score was inversely associated with fasting blood glucose (β =-0.044; 95% CI:-0.083-0.005; p = 0.028), total cholesterol (β =-0.034; 95% CI:-0.056-0.013; p = 0.002), and LDL (β =-0.034; 95% CI:-0.060 0.009; p = 0.009) after adjusting for covariates. In contrast, no association was found between DII score and systolic-diastolic blood pressure, triglycerides, and HDL. In line with this finding, participants with lower DII scores (1^st tertile) had higher fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, and LDL (ANCOVA, p = 0.033; p = 0.014; p = 0.026, respectively) compared to those with higher DII scores (3^rd tertile). In conclusion, the DII score was associated with fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, and LDL, suggesting the role of dietary intake in linking inflammation and CVD.