The Role of Dietary Inflammatory Index on the Association Between Sleep Quality and Long-Term Cardiovascular Risk: A Mediation Analysis Based on NHANES (2005–2008)

Objective: People with poor sleep quality have higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and one potential mechanism of CVD is chronic inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of dietary inflammation in the relationship between sleep quality and CVD risk. Methods: This study involved 5594 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) in 2005– 2008. Sleep quality, dietary inflammation, and 10-year CVD risk were evaluated via the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Energy-adjusted Dietary Inflammatory Index (E-DII), and the Framingham Risk Score (FRS), respectively. We used generalized additive model (GAM) and mediation analysis to investigate the relationship among sleep quality, 10-year CVD risk, and E-DII. Results: PSQI had a non-linear relationship with 10-year CVD risk ( P < 0.001). Meanwhile, among the participants with poor sleep quality, PSQI was positively associated with increased 10-year CVD risk ( P < 0.001) and E-DII ( P < 0.001). Furthermore, the association between sleep quality and CVD risk was partially mediated by E-DII, and the mediated proportion was 14.6%, and the mediating effect of E-DII varied in different gender and age groups. However, in the subjects with good sleep quality, the association among PSQI, E-DII, and 10-year CVD risk was not existed. Conclusion: Ten-year CVD risk could be reduced by controlling the intake of inflammatory food, especially for whom with sleep disorders. In general, the reduction of inflammatory diet could weaken the effect of sleep disorders on the CVD risk.