Background: Dietary intake, as one of the critical lifestyle risk factors, plays a crucial role in the risk of sarcopenia, potentially due to its anti-inflammatory properties. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) and the Dietary Inflammatory Score (DIS) with sarcopenia in an Iranian population.
Methods: In the present study, 80 participants with sarcopenia were included in the case group, and 80 non-sarcopenia participants were included in the control group, matched by gender. Sarcopenia was diagnosed according to the Asian Working Group on Sarcopenia (AWGS) guidelines. Additionally, dietary data obtained from a food frequency questionnaire were used to calculate participants' DIS and DII scores. The association between the DII and DIS and the odds ratio of sarcopenia was assessed by logistic regression in both crude and adjusted models.
Results: In the crude model, the odds of sarcopenia were significantly higher for each unit increase in DIS and DII scores (DIS: odds ratio (OR) = 1.221, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.128-1.322; DII: OR = 1.271, 95% CI: 1.041-1.553). After adjusting for age, energy, and protein intake, higher odds of sarcopenia were observed for each unit increase in DIS score (OR = 1.129, 95% CI: 1.004-1.268). Similarly, higher odds of sarcopenia were seen for each unit increase in DII score after adjusting for potential confounders (OR = 1.269, 95% CI: 1.032-1.561).
Conclusions: In conclusion, this study found that greater adherence to the DII and DIS was associated with higher odds of sarcopenia in older adults.
Clinical trial number: Not applicable.
Keywords: Dietary inflammatory index; Inflammation; Sarcopenia.
© 2025. The Author(s).