Dietary Inflammatory Index: is it really associated with postmenopausal symptoms?

Objective: Diet significantly modulates immunological responses and can impact climacteric symptoms. This study evaluated the association between Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) scores and climacteric symptoms in postmenopausal women.

Method: The study was conducted with postmenopausal women between May and July 2024. A face-to-face questionnaire including demographic characteristics, the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) and the Kupperman Menopausal Index (KMI) was administered. The DII score was computed based on dietary data. Anthropometric measurements were based on participants' self-reports. The data were analyzed using SPSS 24.0.

Result: s: In total, 193 postmenopausal women were recruited. Participants in T3, who had the highest DII scores and thus followed the most pro-inflammatory diets, had higher MRS and KMI scores, with significant differences between the groups (p < 0.001 and p = 0.033, respectively). T3 had higher intakes of energy and total fat (p = 0.018 and p = 0.030, respectively) but lower intakes of n-3 fatty acids (p = 0.038). Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that moderate to high DII scores correlated with elevated MRS scores (odds ratio 1.100, p < 0.001 and 1.106, p < 0.001, respectively). After adjusting for age, marital status, education, employment, physical activity, year of menopause, supplement use and socioeconomic status, the results remained consistent.

Conclusion: A pro-inflammatory diet might be associated with higher symptoms. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings.