The Dietary Inflammatory Index Is Associated With Diabetes Severity.

Area of Science:

• Nutrition Science
• Endocrinology
• Public Health

Background:

• The Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) is a validated tool to assess the inflammatory potential of diets.
• Chronic inflammation plays a role in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes.
• Understanding the relationship between dietary patterns and diabetes is crucial for prevention and management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) and the presence of diabetes in adults.
• To examine the relationship between DII scores and the severity of diabetes, as indicated by Hemoglobin A1c (HgbA1c) levels.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional analysis of 4434 adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2013-2014.
• Dietary intake was assessed using 24-hour recalls to calculate DII scores.
• Linear and logistic regression models were employed to analyze the association between DII and diabetes, controlling for confounders.

Main Results:

• Participants with diabetes had significantly higher mean DII scores compared to those without diabetes (0.79 vs 0.50, P = .0098).
• Higher DII scores were strongly associated with elevated HgbA1c levels, particularly in individuals with HgbA1c >9% (1.37).
• A 1-point increase in DII score was associated with a 13% increase in the odds of having diabetes and a 43% increase in the odds of having HgbA1c >9% among those with diabetes.

Conclusions:

• The DII demonstrates a significant association with diabetes presence and severity.
• An inflammatory diet, as measured by DII, is linked to poorer glycemic control (HgbA1c >9%).
• Further research is warranted to confirm the DII's utility in diabetes risk assessment and patient management.