The Diet Score Linked to 82% Higher Heart Risk
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Beyond Fat and Salt: When dieticians and cardiologists talk about lowering heart disease risk, the focus is usually on fat, salt, and cholesterol. But new research points to a different — and more comprehensive — metric: how inflammatory your diet is.
The Study: Researchers tracked 500 Chinese adults with coronary heart disease over three years, using the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) to assess how inflammatory their diets were at baseline. They then monitored major cardiac events and blood markers of inflammation. Those with the most pro-inflammatory diets had an 82% higher risk of another cardiac event than those with the least inflammatory diets. Cardiovascular mortality was four times higher in the highest group.
The Takeaway: The DII essentially scores your diet based on how much it drives inflammation. Diets high in ultra-processed foods, fried items, and added sugar tend to push that score up, while foods rich in fiber, polyphenols, and omega-3s help bring it down.
Keep in Mind: This study focused on people with existing heart disease in China, but it adds to a growing body of research linking diet-driven inflammation to cardiovascular risk.
