Pro-inflammatory diet in American adults linked with increased gout risk
Credit: Jacob Dwyer - Michigan Medicine
Credit: Cartoon of a doctor examining a patient with gout
A recent study unveiled a significant correlation between dietary habits and the risk of developing gout in US adults. The findings of the study were published in Heliyon Journal.
The study was based on data from the 2007-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and included 27,710 participants in a critical analysis of the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) and its potential association with gout.
The research utilized restricted cubic splines (RCS) and the scientists modeled the nonlinear dynamics of this association. Propensity score matching (PSM) was subsequently applied to look deeper into potential relationships, and a subgroup analysis provided a nuanced perspective.
The results found a compelling link between dietary inflammation and gout risk. the participants in the highest DII quartile exhibited a 31% high susceptibility to gout in the univariate regression model. After meticulous adjustments for variables such as drinking, smoking, gender, race, age, and BMI, a positive correlation between gout risk and DII persisted. The RCS analysis demonstrated a sharp rise in gout risk with increasing DII values and another sharp increase when DII surpassed approximately 2.5 separated with a plateau in between.
After implementing PSM, the positive correlation between DII and gout remained robust in a fully adjusted multivariable model. Also, subgroup analysis brought forth intriguing nuances, with no statistically significant link found in females, blacks, Mexicans, or smokers.
The findings show that higher levels of pro-inflammation in diets correlate with an elevated risk of gout, and this suggest anti-inflammatory diet that could be pivotal in preventing and ameliorating gout in adults. This research highlights the nuanced relationship between diet and health but also offers practical insights for the development of preventive strategies for this painful condition.
Reference:
Zhang, Y., Song, J., Lai, Y., Li, A., Zhang, Y., Zhou, H., Zhao, W., Zong, Z., Wu, R., & Li, H. (2023). Association between the dietary inflammatory index and gout in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007–2018. In Heliyon (Vol. 9, Issue 12, p. e22930). Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22930
