Evaluated dietary quality is associated with reduced probability of epilepsy

The occurrence of epilepsy is significantly associated with the intake of specific nutrients such as calcium. However, the potential association between overall dietary quality and epilepsy remains undetermined.

Analytical data were retrieved from three consecutive cycles (2013-2018) of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Healthy Eating Index 2015 (HEI-2015) score was used to evaluate dietary quality. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to evaluate the association between HEI-2015 and epilepsy, while subgroup analyses were conducted to examine the interaction effects of epilepsy with various covariates. Additionally, linear regression model, generalized additive model, two-piecewise linear regression model, and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) algorithm model were applied to investigate the potential association between HEI-2015 and epilepsy.

A 5.42-unit disparity was found in mean HEI-2015 scores between epilepsy (45.76±1.43) and non-epilepsy (51.18±0.31) groups. Multivariate models demonstrated a dose-response pattern, wherein each 1-point elevation in HEI-2015 score corresponded to a 2.9 % reduced probability of epilepsy (adjusted odds ratio (OR)=0.971, 95 % confidence interval (CI): 0.948-0.994, p = 0.015). Participants in the highest HEI-2015 quartile exhibited 73.9 % lower odds of epilepsy compared to those in the lowest quartile (p = 0.007). The generalized additive model, two-piecewise linear regression model, and subgroup analyses demonstrated a consistent and stable inverse relationship between HEI-2015 and epilepsy. The XGBoost model revealed that HEI-2015, body mass index, and age were the three most critical variables in epilepsy.

Increased HEI-2015 was inversely correlated with the probability of developing epilepsy. Implementing the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) could potentially serve as a viable behavioral strategy for reducing the incidence of epilepsy.