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Published on: February 27, 2014
Associations between Dietary Inflammatory Index Scores and Inflammatory Biomarkers among Older Adults in the Lothian
J Corley1, N Shivappa, J R Hébert
1Dr Janie Corley, Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, Scotland, UK. Phone: +44-131-650-1683.
Objectives:
Chronic low-grade inflammation is a key underlying mechanism in several age-related chronic conditions and previous studies have shown that diet can modulate the inflammatory process. We investigated the ability of the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII®), a summary measure of dietary inflammatory potential, to predict concentrations of plasma inflammatory markers in a sample of older people.
Design:
Cross-sectional and 3-year follow-up analysis of Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (LBC1936) study data.
Setting:
Baseline data collection occurred between 2004 and 2007 in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Participants:
Men and women (n 928, age ~70 at baseline) living in Edinburgh and surrounding regions who are surviving participants of the Scottish Mental Survey of 1947.
Measurements:
Energy-adjusted DII (E-DII) scores at age 70 (derived from a food-frequency questionnaire), plasma concentrations of inflammatory biomarkers at age 70 (C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen) and age 73 (CRP, fibrinogen, hs-CRP, Interleukin-6 (IL-6)). Analyses were performed using multivariable logistic regression adjusting for age, sex, smoking, body mass index, physical activity, and hypercholesterolaemia.
Results:
Higher E-DII scores (pro-inflammatory diet) were associated with increased odds of elevated CRP (>3mg/L) at age 70 (OR 1.12; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.24, P = 0.02), and elevated IL-6 (>1.6pg/ml) at age 73 (OR 1.11; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.23, P = 0.04), but not with fibrinogen.
Conclusion:
These results are consistent with the ability of the DII to predict inflammatory biomarker concentrations and suggest that diet plays a role in the regulation of inflammation, even after controlling for potential confounders. This validation study provides support for using the DII in research among older populations.
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