Dietary Inflammatory Index and Its Association With Biochemical Markers, Dietary Intake, and Clinical Outcomes Including Hospitalization and Mortality in Individuals With Heart Failure: A Prospective Study

BACKGROUND: Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) has been widely investigated for its links to cardiovascular diseases. However, gaps remain in understanding the relationship between DII and biochemical markers, dietary intake, and clinical outcomes in individuals with heart failure (HF). OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to examine the relationship between DII and biochemical markers, dietary intake, and clinical outcomes in individuals with HF after a 36-month follow-up. METHODS: We studied 124 adults and older people of both sexes diagnosed with HF receiving outpatient care. Clinical outcomes, including hospitalization and mortality, were evaluated. Dietary intake was assessed using the 24-hour recall method, and relevant dietary components were used to calculate DII scores. Binomial Logistic Regression Models analyzed associations between DII tertiles and study variables. The associations between DII and clinical outcomes were assessed using Cox Regression. RESULTS: We found that 74.2% of individuals had a diet classified as anti-inflammatory. A significant association was observed between DII and hematocrit ( P = .036). Participants in the highest DII tertile (tertile 3) had lower intake of total fiber, beta-carotene, vitamin A, B6, C, magnesium, potassium, garlic, and onion compared with participants in tertiles 1 and 2 (all P < .05). They also had higher intake of protein, vitamin B3, and phosphorus compared with tertile 2 (all P < .05), and higher saturated fat intake compared with tertile 1 ( P = .012). No significant associations were observed between DII and mortality or hospitalizations (all P > .05). CONCLUSIONS: An anti-inflammatory diet was observed by most HF outpatients; however, DII was not associated with hospitalization and mortality.