Association between dietary inflammation index and cataract: a population-based study from NHANES 2005-2008

Various studies have widely explored the association between index of dietary inflammation (DII) and occurrence of diseases. Accumulating evidence have revealed that a lower DII seems to be protective against a variety of diseases. Nevertheless, the association between DII and age-related cataract remains unclear.

To investigate the correlation between DII and age-related cataract in a representative sample of the American population.

This cross-sectional population-based study comprised 6,395 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted in cycles from 2005 to 2008. DII was calculated using dietary recall information, with higher scores indicating greater inflammatory potential of the diet. Age-related cataract was evaluated using cataract surgery as a surrogate measure. Covariates included sociodemographic factors, lifestyle factors, physical measures, and comorbidities. Logistic regression models were employed to assess the association between DII and cataract. The presence of a non-linear relationship was examined using restricted cubic spline analysis. Subgroup analysis was conducted to explore potential interaction effects. Data analysis was performed from September 1 to December 30, 2022.

Age-related cataract assessed through cataract surgery information obtained from a self-reported questionnaire.

A total of 6,395 participants were included, with a mean (standard deviation, SD) age of 48.7 (15.3) years. Of these, 3,115 (48.7%) were male, 3,333 (52.1%) were non-Hispanic white, and 683 (10.7%) had cataract. The mean (SD) DII was -4.78 (1.74). After adjusting for all included covariates, DII showed a positive association with cataract, both as a continuous variable (odds ratio (OR): 1.054, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.007-1.103, p = 0.023) and in quartiles, with the highest quartile compared to the lowest (OR: 1.555, 95% CI: 1.233-1.967, p < 0.001). Restricted cubic spline analysis revealed no evidence of a non-linear relationship (p for non-linearity 0.085). Subgroup analysis indicated no interaction effects among the studied covariates.

These findings suggest that a pro-inflammatory diet serves as a risk factor for the occurrence of cataracts.