Mateusz Konrad Witkowski, Aleksandra Ryglowska, Halina Grajeta, Anna Prescha

Assessment of Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) in subjects with hypersensitivity to aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (HANSADIs)
2022-11-07

Subject of study. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are one of the most commonly used group of drugs, to which up to 1,9% of the population may be hypersensitive. Clinically, hypersensitivity reactions to NSAIDs are manifested by a number of symptoms usually occurring few minutes to several hours after taking the drug. It is an inflammatory hypersensitivity. Nutrients such as: polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), polyphenols, pre- and probiotics, fiber, vitamins A, D, E, C as well as selenium, zinc and magnesium help to reduce inflammation, while e.g. simple carbohydrates, saturated fatty acids (SFA), trans fatty acids, cholesterol, gluten and salt increase it. The sum of their pro- and anti-inflammatory properties makes up the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), a tool developed to assess the impact of patient’s diet on inflammation. There are no data in the literature on the value of DII in people with hypersensitivity to NSAIDs.

Objective. The aim of this study was to calculate DII and evaluate it in patients with hypersensitivity to aspirin (ASA) and other NSAIDs.

Methods. Dietary histories covering 3 to 7 days were collected from 41 patients with hypersensitivity to aspirin and other NSAIDs and from 59 control subjects. From these, the supply of nutrients and food products required for the calculation of DII was calculated. To calculate the supply of most components, the Aliant program by Cambridge Diagnostic was used. The intake of flavonoids and isoflavones was calculated using databases developed by the USDA.

Results. The mean DII value was 1.9 in both the test and control groups, indicating that the subjects of both groups followed a pro-inflammatory diet. There were no statistically significant differences in DII within sex in the study and control group and between men and women. These results highlight the need to provide better education for patients regarding dietary principles in inflammatory disease, which include hypersensitivity to ASA and other NSAIDs.

Conclusions. The mean DII value for patients with hypersensitivity to NSAIDs did not differ from the mean DII value in the control group, which indicates a low awareness of patients about the underlying causes of the inflammatory disease and the nutritional needs resulting from it.

In order to reduce the incidence of hypersensitivity symptoms in patients with hypersensitivity to NSAIDs and thus improve their quality of life, it seems rational to introduce into the model of nutrition of these people products rich in anti-inflammatory nutrients, which are not a source of salicylates.

Keywords: pro- and anti-inflammatory nutrients, DII,  hypersensitivity to NSAIDs.

© Bromat. Chem. Toksykol, 2022, 54 (2): 119–132