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Association between pro-inflammatory dietary patterns and chronic pain in community-dwelling older adults: A
Junji Nishimoto1, Naoki Deguchi2, Sho Hatanaka2
1Research Team for Promoting Independence and Mental Health, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Geriatrics and Gerontology, 35-2 Sakae-cho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, 173-0015, Japan; Department of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Sciences, Tokyo Kasei University, 2-15-1 Inariyama, Sayama City, Saitama, 350-1398, Japan; Department of Rehabilitation, Saitama Medical Center, Saitama Medical University, 1981 Kamoda, Kawagoe City, Saitama, 350-8550, Japan.
Background:
Persistent inflammation is a key factor in the development of chronic pain, as diet can modulate inflammation, it may influence the risk of chronic pain risk. Pro-inflammatory dietary patterns-characterized by higher Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) scores, indicating dietary patterns that promote systemic inflammation-may be particularly relevant. The impact of diet on inflammation and pain may vary by individual factors such as sex, age, and psychological status. This study examined this association with a particular focus on sex differences.
Methods:
This cross-sectional study used baseline data from the Itabashi Longitudinal Study on Aging, a cohort of community-dwelling older adults in Tokyo. The DII was derived from dietary data collected via a self-administered diet survey. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed with sex and DII quartile interaction terms as exposure variables and chronic pain (pain lasting ≥three months) as outcome, adjusted for age, overweight, educational level, and smoking status.
Results:
Using men in the lowest DII quartile as the reference group, women had significantly higher odds ratios (OR) for chronic pain across all DII quartiles (first, OR: 1.69, 95% CI: 1.16-2.46; second, OR: 1.84, 95% CI: 1.27-2.67; third, OR: 1.64, 95% CI: 1.12-2.40; and fourth, OR: 2.51, 95% CI: 1.73-3.66).
Conclusions:
Our findings suggest that the association between a pro-inflammatory diet, as reflected by higher DII scores, and chronic pain may differ by sex and that systemic inflammation may be involved. These findings underscore the need for sex-specific dietary strategies to manage chronic pain.
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