Higher Dietary Inflammatory Index Scores Associated with Increased MACE in CHD Patients

This retrospective cohort study followed 500 adults with angiographically confirmed coronary heart disease (CHD) for a median of 38 months. The study assessed the association between dietary patterns, measured by the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), and clinical outcomes, comparing patients in the lowest (Q1) and highest (Q4) DII quartiles. The primary outcome was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Secondary outcomes included death by any cause, cardiovascular-related re-hospitalization, negative cardio-metabolic phenotype, and high systemic inflammation.

The main finding was a positive association between higher DII scores and increased MACE incidence. The incidence of MACE was 11.2% in the lowest DII quartile (Q1) and rose to 29.6% in the highest quartile (Q4), with a reported p-trend. The study also reported positive associations between higher DII scores and both negative cardio-metabolic phenotype and high systemic inflammation, though specific effect sizes for these secondary outcomes were not provided.

Safety and tolerability data were not reported. Key limitations include the observational design, which precludes establishing causation, and the lack of reported funding or conflict of interest disclosures. The study population was specific to adults with confirmed CHD. For clinical practice, this evidence suggests a potential link between pro-inflammatory dietary patterns and adverse cardiovascular outcomes in this high-risk group, but the findings represent an association that requires confirmation in prospective, interventional studies.