PURPOSE

To investigate the function of the Systemic Inflammation Response Index (SIRI) in the association of Healthy Eating Index (HEI) 2020 in patients with periodontitis risk.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study utilised data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2009 to 2014, including participants's oral examination results, dietary records, and levels of inflammatory markers. The study employed HEI-2020 as the independent variable and periodontitis as the dependent variable, using weighted logistic regression analysis to examine the association between HEI-2020 and periodontitis. Additionally, restricted cubic splines (RCS) were employed to further explore the non-linear association between the two. Mediation analysis was conducted to investigate the role of SIRI in the association between HEI-2020 and periodontitis.

RESULTS

3829 (34.5%) of the 9569 patients were diagnosed with periodontitis. In the weighted logistics regression model, HEI-2020 and the risk of periodontitis showed a statistically significant negative association (OR: 0.99, 95% CI: 0.98-1.00, p 0.001). The findings of the RCS curve showed a linear correlation (pnon-linear=0.684) between the risk of periodontitis and HEI-2020. With a mediation proportion of 9.82% (p 0.001), the findings of the mediation study indicated that SIRI partially mediated the relationship between HEI-2020 and periodontitis.

CONCLUSION

HEI-2020 and periodontitis risk are statistically significantly negatively correlated, and SIRI is a major mediating factor in this relationship. The study results may help clinicians better understand how a healthy diet impacts the risk of periodontal disease and identify the mediating role of SIRI in this association. This knowledge can guide personalised dietary and inflammation management strategies, enhancing oral and overall health by preventing and managing periodontal issues effectively.