Relationship Between Dietary Inflammatory Index, Diets, and Cardiovascular Medication

Cardiovascular (CV) diseases remain a leading global health challenge, being influenced by diet and systemic inflammation. Adherence to healthy dietary patterns, such as the Mediterranean (MED), Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), and Anti-inflammatory (AnMED) diets, may reduce the CV risk.

We aimed to evaluate the association between the adherence to healthy dietary patterns and CV treatments.

This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Valencian Community, Spain. Nutritional data were collected using a food frequency questionnaire to assess the adherence to MED, DASH, and AnMED dietary patterns. Statistical analyses, including Kruskal-Wallis tests and linear regression models, evaluated dietary adherence, nutrient intake, the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), and medication use.

Of 468 participants initially recruited, were included in the final analysis after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria (88.48% female, mean age: 66.16 ± 9.59 years). A significant association was observed between the DII and antihypertensive use (p-value < 0.001), with higher DII scores correlating with increased antihypertensive consumption. Among dietary patterns, the AnMED diet exhibited the strongest association with the DII (p-adjust < 0.001). Predictive modeling revealed a 14.28% increase in antihypertensive use per unit rise in the DII. The AnMED diet was the only pattern significantly linked to improved micronutrient intake, including calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium.

The DII is a useful tool for assessing the inflammatory potential of diets. Diets with lower DII scores, such as the AnMED diet, may reduce systemic inflammation and improve CV health. Adherence to the AnMED diet may lower blood pressure and reduce reliance on antihypertensive medications, supporting anti-inflammatory dietary patterns for CV disease prevention and management.