Association of Empirical Dietary Inflammatory Potential with Mortality: Results from the Third National Nutrition Examination Survey

Empirical dietary inflammatory potential score (EDIP) is designed to assess the inflammatory potential of diet based on the pro- and anti-inflammatory properties of its various components. We examined the association of EDIP with all-cause mortality in a large, community-based, multiracial sample of the US population.

This analysis included 13,155 participants (42.7±0.41 years, 53% women, 76.3% White) without prior history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination (NHANES III) Survey. A 24- hour dietary recall information was used to calculate EDIP. The National Death Index was used to identify the date and cause of death. Cox proportional hazard analysis was used to examine the association between tertiles of EDIP with all-cause mortality over a median follow-up of 26.6 years.

In a model adjusted for demographics and CVD risk factors, higher EDIP tertile compared with lowest tertile was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality (HR (95% CI: 1.18 (1.08-1.29). A standard-deviation increase in EDIP (0.27 units) was associated with a 6% increased risk of mortality (HR (95%CI):1.06(1.02-1.11). This association was stronger in older participants compared to younger participants (HR (95%CI): 1.13(1.00-1.30) vs. 0.92 (0.83-1.02) respectively; interaction p=0.03).

pro-inflammatory diet is associated with increased risk of mortality, especially in older population. Dietary changes that reduce inflammation may have a potential to reduce the risk of poor outcomes.