The dietary inflammatory index is positively associated with low muscle mass in adults: an analysis of NHANES.

INTRODUCTION

Using the data taken from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database, we explored the relationship between the dietary inflammatory index (DII) and low muscle mass (LMM) in adults.

METHODS

We examined 20,424 adults ≥ 20 years old from the 1999-2006 and 2011-2018 NHANES. We hypothesized that the DII is positively associated with the risk of LMM in adults. Regression, subgroup, and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analyses were used to determine the association between the DII and the risk of LMM.

RESULTS

Analyzing the DII as a continuous variable revealed that each unit increase in DII was associated with an 11% increase in the risk of LMM. When categorized by quartile grouping, the analysis indicated that individuals in the highest DII quartile exhibited a 1.78-fold higher risk of LMM compared to those in the lowest quartile (OR = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.45-2.18). The RCS analysis demonstrated that the risk of LMM remained stable for DII below 1.77, but increased sharply for DII of 1.77 or higher. Subgroup analysis further revealed that the impact of DII on LMM risk was more pronounced in individuals with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 kg/m or greater.

CONCLUSION

It is necessary to adjust the diet according to the DII to reduce the possibility of LMM and to prevent the occurrence of sarcopenia.