Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (One Year)), 10 credits / 15 HE credits
Introduction: The metabolic syndrome (MetS), is often used to describe cardio-metabolic
health. MetS is more prevalent in the elderly community. Chronic low-grade inflammation is
considered a factor for developing MetS, and might be mediated by inflammatory potential of
food items. Dietary inflammatory index (DII), is a tool for evaluating dietary inflammatory
potential. Well-defined samples from high-risk populations are seldom used when studying
inflammation and DII, and time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is
rarely considered. The aim was therefore to assess DII in a well-defined sample of elderly
women and investigate potential influence of DII on markers for cardio-metabolic health
while controlling for moderate- to vigorous physical activity (MVPA).
Material and methods: 112 women (65-75 yrs.) were assessed for: dietary intake, waist
circumference, body mass index, MVPA, systolic/diastolic-blood pressure, and triglyceride,
HDL/LDL-cholesterol, plasma-glucose, adiponectin, c-reactive protein, fibrinogen levels. DII
was created from dietary intake and divided into tertiles. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA)
was employed to check variance among variables while controlling for MVPA.
Results: DII scores ranged from anti- to pro-inflammatory (-3,72<->4,10), with median DII
score at 55th percentile on scale of representative values. The DII score did not influence
cardio-metabolic health markers in this study-sample. Increased time in MVPA was
associated with lower DII scores. MetS, while not significant, was less prevalent in the lowest
tertile of the DII compared to highest tertile.
Conclusions: The results from this study casts doubts on using DII for evaluating
inflammatory potential of a diet. In this well-defined study sample, the DII failed to
categorize subjects according to their level of inflammation. However, a statistically
significant relationship between DII and physical activity was discovered, hinting at joint
variability among healthy lifestyle behaviors. These results highlight the need for further
studies to verify the link between DII, cardio-metabolic health, and MVPA.
2018.
Physical activity, Westernized diet, Metabolic syndrome, C-reactive protein.