The Dietary Inflammatory Index is positively associated with cardiometabolic risk parameters in atherosclerosis patients.

Inflammation is implicated in the development and progression of a variety of cardiovascular diseases. We hypothesized that the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) is associated with anthropometric indices and metabolic parameters in Iranian atherosclerosis patients. The present cross-sectional study was conducted on 320 Iranian atherosclerosis patients. The DII was estimated using a valid and reliable 168-item food frequency questionnaire. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were evaluated for anthropometric indices and metabolic parameters according to the DII score. Linear regression was used to estimate the relationship between DII scores with atherosclerosis-related dependent variables. According to the continuous score of DII, there was no significant association between DII and odds of obesity, total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio, and aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase ratio in all 3 models (P ≥ .05). In linear regression analysis, we found a significant association between DII score and fasting blood sugar, lipid profile (except for high-density lipoprotein cholesterol), liver enzymes (except for alkaline phosphatase), and serum sodium in adjusted models (P < .05). In this study, patients with atherosclerosis consuming a pro-inflammatory diet was positively associated with fasting blood sugar, lipid, and liver enzymes measures. Future studies with prospective and interventional designs are required to clarify the association between this dietary index and cardiovascular disease risk factors among patients with atherosclerosis.