The triglyceride-glucose index mediates associations between dietary inflammation index/Composite Dietary Antioxidant Index and cardiovascular disease incidence: insights from NHANES study

This study investigates how Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) and Composite Dietary Antioxidant Index (CDAI) patterns relate to cardiovascular disease, with particular focus on their metabolic connections, providing novel insights for prophylaxis and remedy. Data from NHANES (2009–2014) were utilized in this retrospective cross-sectional research. Binary logistic regression and the generalized linear model (GLM) were applied to assess the correlations among DII, CDAI, metabolic factors, and CVD. Moreover, causal mediation analysis was carried out to further probe into the mediating role of the TyG-index. Significant positive correlations between DII (odds ratio [OR] 1.08, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.01–1.16, p = 0.036) and CVD were observed, while CDAI exhibits a nonlinear association with the risk of CVD. The combined effect analysis indicated that the group with a low DII and high CDAI combination had the least risk (OR 0.52, 95 % CI 0.35–0.78, p = 0.002). TyG-index was found to mediate 4.95 % of the connection between DII and CVD and 8.02 % of the linkage between CDAI and CVD, respectively. This study manifests that DII and CDAI are respectively correlated with the risk of CVD incidence. The diet low in inflammation and rich in antioxidants can safeguard against disease occurrence. Serving as a metabolic marker, the TyG-index serves to establish the connection among DII, CDAI, and the progression of CVD. • Pro-inflammatory dietary patterns, as measured by DII, demonstrate a positive association with cardiovascular disease development. • Conversely, antioxidant-rich diets reflected in higher CDAI scores exhibit protective effects against CVD. • Notably, they demonstrate synergistic effects on CVD outcomes. • The TyG index mediated 6.43% and 9.71% of the associations for DII-CVD and CDAI-CVD relationships, respectively.