The dietary inflammatory index and cardiometabolic parameters in US firefighters

Dietary choices play a crucial role in influencing systemic inflammation and the eventual development of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII®) is a novel tool designed to assess the inflammatory potential of one's diet. Firefighting, which is characterized by high-stress environments and elevated CVD risk, represents an interesting context for exploring the dietary inflammatory-CVD connection.

This study aims to investigate the associations between Energy-adjusted Dietary Inflammatory Index (E-DII™) scores and cardiometabolic risk parameters among US firefighters.

The study analyzed 413 participants from the Indianapolis Fire Department who took part in a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)-sponsored Mediterranean diet intervention trial. Thorough medical evaluations, encompassing physical examinations, standard laboratory tests, resting electrocardiograms, and submaximal treadmill exercise testing, were carried out. Participants also completed a detailed food frequency questionnaire to evaluate dietary patterns, and E-DII scores were subsequently computed based on the gathered information.

Participants had a mean body mass index (BMI) of 30.0 ± 4.5 kg/m² and an average body fat percentage of 28.1 ± 6.6%. Regression analyses, adjusted for sex, BMI, maximal oxygen consumption (VO₂ max), max metabolic equivalents (METS), age, and body fat percentage, revealed significant associations between high vs. low E-DII scores and total cholesterol (β = 10.37, p = 0.04). When comparing low Vs median E-DII scores there is an increase in glucose (β = 0.91, p = 0.72) and total cholesterol (β = 5.51, p = 0.26).

Our findings support an association between higher E-DII scores and increasing adiposity, as well as worse lipid profiles.