Medicina (Sep 2024)

Association of Dietary Inflammatory Index and Thyroid Function in Patients with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis: An Observational Cross–Sectional Multicenter Study

  • Sanja Klobučar,
  • Gordana Kenđel Jovanović,
  • Jadwiga Kryczyk-Kozioł,
  • Maja Cigrovski Berković,
  • Jelena Vučak Lončar,
  • Nikolina Morić,
  • Katarina Peljhan,
  • Dario Rahelić,
  • Dunja Mudri,
  • Ines Bilić-Ćurčić,
  • Tatjana Bogović Crnčić

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina60091454
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 60, no. 9
p. 1454

Abstract

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Background and Objectives: The available research suggests that dietary patterns with high inflammatory potential, as indicated by a high DII score, may exacerbate inflammation and potentially influence thyroid function. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the associations between the inflammatory potential of a diet and thyroid function in adults with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT). Materials and Methods: A total of 149 adults diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis were enrolled in this observational, cross-sectional, multicenter study. The Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII®) was calculated using a 141-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The serum levels of the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (fT4), thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO-Ab), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) were determined. Results: The DII® scores ranged from −3.49 (most anti-inflammatory) to +4.68 (most pro-inflammatory), whereas three DII® tertile ranges were defined as +1.21, respectively. Participants in tertile 1 (more anti-inflammatory diet) had significantly higher levels of fT4 than those adhering to a more pro-inflammatory diet (p = 0.007). The levels of hsCRP and TSH appeared to increase with increasing the DII® score, but without statistical significance. A significant association was found between the DII® and TSH (β = 0.42, p ® and free thyroxine (β = 0.19, p ® and TSH (β = 0.33, p = 0.002) and between the DII® and body mass index (BMI) (β = 0.14, p = 0.04). Conclusions: Adherence to an anti-inflammatory diet appears to be beneficial in patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, suggesting that dietary modification aimed at lowering DII® levels may be a valuable strategy to improve clinical outcomes in these patients.

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