Study Links Pro-Inflammatory Diet to Elevated Heart Disease Biomarker

A pro-inflammatory diet may be linked to a heart disease biomarker, an indication that such an eating plan is bad for heart health.That’s according to a study published today in the journal PLOS One. With cardiovascular diseases standing as a leading cause of mortality worldwide, the interplay between diet-induced inflammation, as quantified by the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), and heart failure biomarker NT-proBNP has not been investigated in the general population. 

The researchers analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999–2004, involving 10,766 people. The relationship between inflammation and the harmful heart biomarker was evaluated through multivariable-adjusted regression models. 

In subjects not experiencing heart failure, a unit increase in the DII was significantly associated with an increase in NT-proBNP levels. According to the National Library of Medicine, inflammation is “the body’s immune system’s response to an irritant. 

It already starts when the body is trying to fight against a harmful irritant. According to Harvard Health Publishing, foods can cause inflammation. 

Identifying risk factors for heart failure “is essential for its prevention, early diagnosis, and management. The surge in heart failure cases, propelled by an aging demographic, highlights the critical need for extensive research into cardiovascular health. However, heart failure frequently develops insidiously, with significant symptoms emerging only upon the occurrence of severe health episodes. 

The team said the DII index used in the study has revealed a significant association between the DII and cardiovascular health. The DII evaluates the inflammatory impact of dietary components, offering insights into chronic inflammation and the risk of cardiovascular disease.

This research furthers the understanding of how certain types of diets can impact heart failure, which may potentially allow humans to improve heart failure outcomes through carefully modifying the components of their diets. Examples of pro-inflammatory foods include foods high in saturated fat, sweets, fried foods, highly processed foods, refined grains, and foods high in sodium.

A pro-inflammatory diet will raise heart failure biomarker NT-proBNP, a direct measure of heart health. The study looked at over 10,000 people, which is an excellent population sample, and had approximately equal numbers of men and women. The study accounted for many common confounds smoking, hypertension, kidney disease, BMI, smoking, etc., and diet still made a statistically significant difference on NT-proBNP.

This study is paving the way to illustrate that protecting your heart, and really all of your organs, begins with nutrition. These include incorporating more whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, along with healthy fats and lean proteins, while limiting heavily refined food products, added sugars, sodium, and unhealthy fats.