The association between the adapted dietary inflammatory index and colorectal cancer recurrence and all-cause mortality

Post-diagnosis dietary factors, supplement use and colorectal cancer prognosis: A Global Cancer Update Programme (CUP Global) systematic literature review and meta-analysis

The role of diet in colorectal cancer prognosis is not well understood and specific lifestyle recommendations are lacking. We searched for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and longitudinal observational studies on post-diagnosis dietary factors, supplement use and colorectal cancer survival outcomes in PubMed and Embase from inception until 28th February 2022. Random-effects dose-response meta-analyses were conducted when at least three studies had sufficient information. The evidence was interpreted and graded by the CUP Global independent Expert Committee on Cancer Survivorship and Expert Panel. Five RCTs and 35 observational studies were included (30,242 cases, over 8700 all-cause and 2100 colorectal cancer deaths, 3700 progression, recurrence, or disease-free events). Meta-analyses, including 3-10 observational studies each, were conducted for: whole grains, nuts/peanuts, red and processed meat, dairy products, sugary drinks, artificially sweetened beverages, coffee, alcohol, dietary glycaemic load/index, insulin load/index, marine omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, supplemental calcium, circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) and all-cause mortality; for alcohol, supplemental calcium, circulating 25(OH)D and colorectal cancer-specific mortality; and for circulating 25(OH)D and recurrence/disease-free survival. The overall evidence was graded as 'limited'. The inverse associations between healthy dietary and/or lifestyle patterns (including diets that comprised plant-based foods), whole grains, total, caffeinated, or decaffeinated coffee and all-cause mortality and the positive associations between unhealthy dietary patterns, sugary drinks and all-cause mortality provided 'limited-suggestive' evidence. All other exposure-outcome associations provided 'limited-no conclusion' evidence. Additional, well-conducted cohort studies and carefully designed RCTs are needed to develop specific lifestyle recommendations for colorectal cancer survivors.

Association of Pro-Inflammatory Diet, Smoking, and Alcohol Consumption with Bladder Cancer: Evidence from Case-Control and NHANES Studies from 1999 to 2020

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Diet might be a modifiable factor in preventing cancer by modulating inflammation. This study aims to explore the association between the dietary inflammatory index (DII) score and the risk of bladder cancer (BC).

METHODS

A total of 112 BC patients and 292 control subjects were enrolled in a case-control trial. Additionally, we tracked a total of 109 BC patients and 319 controls, whose propensity scores were obtained from the Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database spanning from 1999 to 2020. The baseline index and dietary intake data were assessed using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). DII scores were calculated based on the dietary intake of 20 nutrients obtained from participants and categorized into four groups. The association between the inflammatory potential of the diet and BC risk was investigated using multivariate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

RESULTS

High DII scores were associated with a pro-inflammatory diet and a higher risk of BC, with higher DII scores positively associated with a higher risk of BC (quartiles 4 vs. 1, ORs 4.89, 95% CIs 2.09-11.25 p < 0.001). Specifically, this might promote BC development by inducing oxidative stress and affecting DNA repair mechanisms. This result was consistent with the NHANES findings (quartiles 4 vs. 1, ORs 2.69, 95% CIs 1.25-5.77, p = 0.006) and further supported the association of pro-inflammatory diet and lifestyle factors with the risk of BC.

CONCLUSIONS

Diets with the highest pro-inflammatory potential were associated with an increased risk of BC. By adjusting lifestyle factors, individuals might effectively lower their DII, thereby reducing the risk of developing BC. The results are consistent with the NHANES cohort.

Association of a low-inflammatory diet with survival among adults: The role of cardiometabolic diseases and lifestyle

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Evidence on the association between dietary inflammation and longevity is limited. We aimed to examine the association of a low-inflammatory diet with mortality and longevity, and to explore whether cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs) and lifestyle factors may play a role in this association.

METHODS

Within the UK Biobank, 188,443 participants aged 39-72 years (mean 56.07) were followed for up to 16 years to detect survival status from the death registry. At baseline, dietary intake was assessed with a 24-h dietary record. An inflammatory diet index (IDI) was calculated as weighted sum of 31 food groups (including 14 anti-inflammatory and 17 pro-inflammatory) based on plasma high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels, and tertiled as low, moderate, and high IDI scores. Baseline lifestyle beyond diet was assessed by summing the number of healthy lifestyle factors (i.e., never smoking, regular physical activity, and normal BMI) and categorized as unfavorable (≤1) and favorable (≥2). Presence of CMDs was defined as having any one of type 2 diabetes, ischemic heart disease, atrial fibrillation, heart failure, and stroke. Data were analyzed using Cox regression, Laplace regression, and generalized structural equation modelling.

RESULTS

During the follow-up (median 9.79 years, interquartile range: 9.68-10.57 years), 9178 (4.9%) participants died. In multi-adjusted Cox regression models, a low-inflammatory diet (i.e. low IDI score) was associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.82, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.78 to 0.86]. Laplace regression analysis showed that the multi-adjusted 10th percentile difference (10th PD, 95% CI) of death time was delayed by 0.80 (0.55, 1.06; P < 0.001) years for participants with a low IDI score compared to those with a high IDI score. In mediation analysis, 21.48% of the association between IDI and mortality was mediated by CMDs. In joint effect analysis, participants with a low IDI score and favorable lifestyle had a 42% lower risk of death (HR = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.54, 0.62) compared to those with a high IDI score and unfavorable lifestyle. There was a significant additive interaction between low IDI score and favorable lifestyle on decreased mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

A low-inflammatory diet is associated with a lower risk of death and could prolong survival time. CMDs may partially mediate the IDI-mortality association. A favorable lifestyle beyond diet may augment the positive effect of a low-inflammatory diet on longevity.

Colorectal cancer patients' outcome in correlation with dietary and nutritional status: a systematic review

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide and it involves various biomolecular and cellular levels. CRC has possibly happened due to aging, urbanization, and diet. Different foods have varying effects on the gastrointestinal cells, that's why additional research is necessary to create effective medical interventions. This review aimed to evaluate the correlation between dietary and nutritional status on the outcome of CRC patients. Study results showed that a healthy diet such as fruit and vegetables is the best diet for improving colorectal cancer outcomes. Moreover, nutritional status affected CRC patients' outcomes, where high BMI increases the risk of having CRC. However, low BMI was associated with CRC progression and poor quality of life.

The relationship between dietary inflammatory potential and cancer outcomes among cancer survivors: A systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies

Cancer remains the second leading cause of death globally. Chronic inflammatory environments promote the growth of tumors, and the intake of certain food items can increase systemic inflammation. This study examined the relationship between the inflammatory potential of diet, measured by the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), and recurrence, all-cause, and cancer-specific mortality among cancer survivors. Web of Science, Medline, CINHAL, and PsycINFO databases were searched in April 2022. Two independent reviewers screened all searches. Of the 1,443 studies, 13 studies involving 14,920 cancer survivors passed all the screening stages. Three studies reported cancer recurrence, 12 reported all-cause mortality, and six reported cancer-specific mortality. Seven studies calculated DII from pre-diagnosis diets, five from post-diagnosis diets, and one from both pre-and post-diagnosis diets. A random-effects model meta-analysis showed that high DII was not associated with an increased risk of recurrence (HR = 1.09, 95 % CI = 0.77, 1.54, n = 4) and all-cause (HR = 1.08, 95 % CI = 0.99, 1.19, n = 14) and cancer-specific mortality (H = 1.07, 95 % CI = 0.92, 1.25, n = 6). Analysis by the timing of dietary assessment showed that only post-diagnosis DII was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality (HR = 1.34, 95 % CI = 1.05, 1.72, n = 6) by 34 %; however, cancer type did not modify these associations. The quality of the study assessed using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale indicated all but one studies were good. The risk of all-cause mortality among cancer survivors could be reduced by consuming more anti-inflammatory diets after cancer diagnosis.

Associations between dietary inflammatory scores and biomarkers of inflammation in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort

BACKGROUND

Since the first version of the dietary inflammatory index (DII®) developed in the past decade, several other versions have been developed. However, to date no study has attempted to compare these versions with respect to their associations with biomarkers of inflammation.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to investigate the relationship between four dietary inflammatory scores [DII, two energy-adjusted derivatives (E-DII and E-DIIr), and the Inflammatory Score of the Diet (ISD)], and circulating levels of several inflammatory markers and adipokines.

METHODS

This study included 17 637 participants from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort with at least one marker of inflammation measured in blood. Associations between the four scores and C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin (IL)6, IL10, IL1RA, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα), soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor-1 (sTNFR1), sTNFR2, leptin, soluble leptin receptor (sLeptin R), adiponectin, and High Molecular Weight (HMW) adiponectin were evaluated using multivariable linear regressions adjusted for potential confounders.

RESULTS

Positive associations were observed between the four dietary inflammatory scores and levels of CRP, IL6, sTNFR1, sTNFR2 and leptin. However, only the DII and the ISD were positively associated with IL1RA levels and only the DII and the E-DIIr were positively associated with TNFα levels. The proportion of variance of each biomarker explained by the scores was lower than 2%, which was equivalent to the variance explained by smoking status but much lower than that explained by body mass index.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that the four dietary inflammatory scores were associated with some biomarkers of inflammation and could be used to assess the inflammatory potential of diet in European adults but are not sufficient to capture the inflammatory status of an individual. These findings can help to better understand the inflammatory potential of diet, but they need to be replicated in studies with repeated dietary measurements.

Dietary Diversity and Inflammatory Diet Associated with All-Cause Mortality and Incidence and Mortality of Type 2 Diabetes: Two Prospective Cohort Studies

A higher dietary diversity score (DDS) and a lower energy-adjusted dietary inflammatory index (E-DII) may be associated with lower risks of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and mortality. This cohort study aimed to investigate the associations of DDS and E-DII with all-cause mortality, incidence of T2D, and mortality of T2D, as well as the joint effects of these two dietary factors. A total of 181,360 participants without all types of diabetes at baseline from the UK Biobank and 42,139 participants from the US NHANES were included. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the associations of DDS and E-DII with outcomes. In the UK Biobank data, 8338 deaths, 3416 incident T2D cases, and 353 T2D deaths occurred during a median follow-up of 12.5 years. In the US NHANES data, 6803 all-cause deaths and 248 T2D-specific deaths were recorded during a median follow-up of 9.6 years. We observed that higher DDS and lower E-DII were significantly associated with lower risks of total mortality and incident T2D. Compared with low DDS, the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of high DDS were 0.69 (0.64, 0.74) for all-cause mortality, 0.79 (0.70, 0.88) for incident T2D in the UK Biobank, and 0.69 (0.61, 0.78) for all-cause mortality in the US NHANES. Compared with participants in tertile 3 of E-DII, those in tertile 1 had a lower risk of overall death [HR 0.86 (95% CI: 0.81, 0.91) in UK Biobank; 0.83 (0.77, 0.88) in US NHANES] and incident T2D [0.86 (0.79, 0.94)] in UK Biobank. No evidence was observed of the interactive effects of DDS and E-DII on either all-cause mortality or the incidence and mortality of T2D. There was no significant association found between any exposure and T2D mortality in this study. In conclusion, our results revealed that higher DDS and lower E-DII were associated with both total mortality and incident T2D in UK and US adults.

Postdiagnostic intake of a more proinflammatory diet is associated with a higher risk of recurrence and all-cause mortality in colorectal cancer survivors

BACKGROUND

The inflammatory potential of the diet has been associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) risk, but its association with CRC prognosis is unclear.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the inflammatory potential of the diet in relation to recurrence and all-cause mortality among persons diagnosed with stage I to III CRC.

METHODS

Data of the COLON study, a prospective cohort among CRC survivors were used. Dietary intake, 6 mo after diagnosis, was assessed by using a food frequency questionnaire and was available for 1631 individuals. The empirical dietary inflammatory pattern (EDIP) score was used as a proxy for the inflammatory potential of the diet. The EDIP score was created by using reduced rank regression and stepwise linear regression to identify food groups that explained most of the variations in plasma inflammatory markers (IL6, IL8, C-reactive protein, and tumor necrosis factor-α) measured in a subgroup of survivors (n = 421). Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models with restricted cubic splines were used to investigate the relation between the EDIP score and CRC recurrence and all-cause mortality. Models were adjusted for age, sex, BMI, PAL, smoking status, stage of disease, and tumor location.

RESULTS

The median follow-up time was 2.6 y (IQR: 2.1) for recurrence and 5.6 y (IQR: 3.0) for all-cause mortality, during which 154 and 239 events occurred, respectively. A nonlinear positive association between the EDIP score and recurrence and all-cause mortality was observed. For example, a more proinflammatory diet (EDIP score +0.75) compared with the median (EDIP score 0) was associated with a higher risk of CRC recurrence (HR: 1.15; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.29) and all-cause mortality (HR: 1.23; 95% CI: 1.12, 1.35).

CONCLUSIONS

A more proinflammatory diet was associated with a higher risk of recurrence and all-cause mortality in CRC survivors. Further intervention studies should investigate whether a switch to a more anti-inflammatory diet improves CRC prognosis.

Cohort profile: Biomarkers related to folate-dependent one-carbon metabolism in colorectal cancer recurrence and survival - the FOCUS Consortium

PURPOSE

The overarching goal of the FOCUS (biomarkers related to folate-dependent one-carbon metabolism in colorectal cancer (CRC) recurrence and survival) Consortium is to unravel the effect of folate and folate-mediated one-carbon metabolism (FOCM) biomarkers on CRC prognosis to provide clinically relevant advice on folate intake to cancer patients and define future tertiary prevention strategies.

PARTICIPANTS

The FOCUS Consortium is an international, prospective cohort of 2401 women and men above 18 years of age who were diagnosed with a primary invasive non-metastatic (stages I-III) CRC. The consortium comprises patients from Austria, two sites from the Netherlands, Germany and two sites from the USA. Patients are recruited after CRC diagnosis and followed at 6 and 12 months after enrolment. At each time point, sociodemographic data, data on health behaviour and clinical data are collected, blood samples are drawn.

FINDINGS TO DATE

An increased risk of cancer recurrences was observed among patients with higher compared with lower circulating folic acid concentrations. Furthermore, specific folate species within the FOCM pathway were associated with both inflammation and angiogenesis pathways among patients with CRC. In addition, higher vitamin B6 status was associated with better quality of life at 6 months post-treatment.

FUTURE PLANS

Better insights into the research on associations between folate and FOCM biomarkers and clinical outcomes in patients with CRC will facilitate the development of guidelines regarding folate intake in order to provide clinically relevant advice to patients with cancer, health professionals involved in patient care, and ultimately further tertiary prevention strategies in the future. The FOCUS Consortium offers an excellent infrastructure for short-term and long-term research projects and for combining additional biomarkers and data resulting from the individual cohorts within the next years, for example, microbiome data, omics and multiomics data or CT-quantified body composition data.

Association of dietary inflammatory potential with risk of overall and cause-specific mortality

Inflammation is a central mechanism in metabolic disorders associated with morbidity and mortality and dietary factors can modulate inflammation. We aimed to prospectively investigate the association between an empirically developed, food-based dietary inflammatory pattern (EDIP) score and the risk of overall and cause-specific mortality, using data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1999 to 2014. EDIP score was derived by entering thirty-nine predefined commonly consumed food groups into the reduced rank regression models followed by stepwise linear regression, which was most predictive of two plasma inflammation biomarkers including C-reactive protein and leucocyte count among 25 500 US adults. This score was further validated in a testing set of 9466 adults. Deaths from baseline until 31 December 2015 were identified through record linkage to the National Death Index. During a median follow-up of 7·8 years among 40 074 participants, we documented 4904 deaths. Compared with participants in the lowest quintile of EDIP score, those in the highest quintile had a higher risk of overall death (hazard ratio (HR) = 1·19, 95 % CI 1·08, 1·32, P_trend = 0·002), and deaths from cancer (HR = 1·41, 95 % CI 1·14, 1·74, P_trend = 0·017) and CVD (HR = 1·22, 95 % CI 0·98, 1·53, P_trend = 0·211). When stratified by age, the association of EDIP with overall mortality was stronger among individuals under 65 years of age (P_interaction = 0·001). Diets with a higher inflammatory potential were associated with increased risk of overall and cancer-specific mortality. Interventions to reduce the adverse effect of pro-inflammatory diets may potentially promote health and longevity.

Diet Quality and Dietary Inflammatory Index in Dutch Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome Patients

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) share common culprit foods and potential pathophysiological factors. However, how diet may contribute to disease course and whether this differs between both entities is unclear. We therefore investigated the association of dietary indices with intestinal inflammation and gastrointestinal symptoms in both IBD and IBS patients. Food frequency questionnaires from 238 IBD, 261 IBS and 195 healthy controls (HC) were available to calculate the overall diet quality by the Dutch Healthy Diet-Index 2015 (DHD-2015) and its inflammatory potential by the Adapted Dietary Inflammatory Index (ADII). Intestinal inflammation and symptoms were evaluated by faecal calprotectin and the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale, respectively. The DHD-2015 was lower in IBD and IBS versus HC (p < 0.001), being associated with calprotectin levels in IBD (b = −4.009, p = 0.006), and with abdominal pain (b = −0.012, p = 0.023) and reflux syndrome (b = −0.016, p = 0.004) in IBS. ADII scores were comparable between groups and were only associated with abdominal pain in IBD (b = 0.194, p = 0.004). In this side-by-side comparison, we found a lower diet quality that was differentially associated with disease characteristics in IBD versus IBS patients. Longitudinal studies are needed to further investigate the role of dietary factors in the development of flares and predominant symptoms.

Meta-Analysis of the Association between Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) and Colorectal Cancer

The Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) was extensively used to examine the inflammatory potential of diet related to colorectal cancer (CRC). This meta-analysis aimed to update the evidence of the association between the DII and CRC across various culture-specific dietary patterns. Literature search was performed through online databases (Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and EBSCOHost). Observational studies exploring the association between the DII and CRC, published between 2017 and 2021, were included. The risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were separately computed for 12 studies comparing the highest and lowest DII scores and for 3 studies that presented continuous DII scores. A high DII score was associated with a higher risk of CRC (RR:1.16; 95% CI, 1.05–1.27). In the subgroup analysis, significant associations were seen in cohort design (RR: 1.24; 95% CI, 1.06–1.44), those lasting for 10 years or longer (RR: 2.95; 95% CI, 2.47–3.52), and in adjustment factor for physical activity (RR: 1.13; 95% CI, 1.07–1.20). An increase of one point in the DII score elevates the risk of CRC by 1.34 (95% CI: 1.15–1.55) times. The findings call for standardized measurement of the inflammatory potential of diet in future studies to enable the establishment of global guidelines for CRC prevention.