The relationship between the dietary inflammatory index and prevalence of radiographic symptomatic osteoarthritis: data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative

 Higher dietary inflammatory index values have been shown to be associated with higher serum interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-R2 levels, metabolic syndrome, asthma, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, and fractures. However, no study has explored the association between index and knee osteoarthritis (OA). Therefore, the present study investigated and showed the higher index values were associated with higher prevalence of radiographic symptomatic knee OA.

To examine whether the higher prevalence of radiographic symptomatic knee osteoarthritis was associated with higher dietary inflammatory index scores.  

The study involved a total of 4358 community-dwelling participants with a mean age of 61.2 years. The validated Block Brief 2000 Food-Frequency Questionnaire was used to determine the index scores and later these scores were classified into quartiles. The clinical and radiological diagnosis of knee radiographic symptomatic osteoarthritis was done. A logistic regression analysis was used to assess the intensity of the connection between knee osteoarthritis and quartiles by adjusting potential confounders and described as odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (Cis).

Subjects with a lower index score, showing decreased pro-inflammatory diet and had a considerably reduced incidence of radiographic symptomatic knee osteoarthritis compared to those with higher index score. According to logistic regression analysis, patients with the largest index score showed a greater probability of experiencing radiographic symptomatic knee osteoarthritis.

Greater index values are linked to greater radiographic symptomatic knee osteoarthritis prevalence.