Dietary Inflammatory Index and Cardiometabolic Risk Markers in Adults with Metabolic Syndrome in Lagos State

The Dietary Inflammatory Index is an evidence-based tool that scores dietary patterns along a pro-inflammatory to anti-inflammatory continuum and has been associated with cardiometabolic outcomes in high-income countries. However, its applicability and predictive validity in the Nigerian dietary context remain empirically unverified. This study examines the relationship between the Dietary Inflammatory Index score and cardiometabolic risk markers in adults diagnosed with metabolic syndrome attending two tertiary hospitals in Lagos State, South West Nigeria. Metabolic syndrome, characterised by central obesity, dyslipidaemia, insulin resistance, and elevated blood pressure, is increasing in prevalence among Nigerian urban adults. A hospital-based analytical cross-sectional study enrolled 300 adults aged 30 to 65 years meeting the International Diabetes Federation criteria for metabolic syndrome. Dietary data were collected using a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire, from which Dietary Inflammatory Index scores were calculated using established parameter means and standard deviations for the Nigerian population. Cardiometabolic markers including high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, lipid profile, blood pressure, and waist circumference were measured. Multiple linear regression was used to model the association between Dietary Inflammatory Index scores and each cardiometabolic marker after adjusting for age, sex, physical activity, smoking, and total energy intake. Findings will contribute to validating the Dietary Inflammatory Index as a dietary risk assessment tool for cardiometabolic disease prevention in West Africa. Keywords: Dietary Inflammatory Index, metabolic syndrome, cardiometabolic risk, Lagos, inflammation.