The Relationship Between Dietary Fiber Intake and C-reactive Protein Levels in Elderly Diabetic Patients With Cardiovascular Disease Risk

Background Dietary fiber, a key component of food, has been studied for its potential to reduce cardiovascular disease risk. However, the relationship between dietary fiber intake and CRP levels in elderly diabetic patients remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the effect of dietary fiber intake on CRP levels in diabetic patients aged over 60 years. Methods Data were sourced from the 2009–2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The cohort consisted of participants over 60 years old with a diabetes diagnosis. CRP levels were classified into two risk categories: low/normal and medium/high. Multivariate regression models were applied to evaluate the effect of dietary fiber intake on CRP levels, adjusting for confounding variables such as age, gender, alcohol consumption, and body mass index (BMI). Sensitivity analyses, including robust regression and variable transformation, were performed to confirm the stability of the results. Results A total of 204 participants were included in the analysis. Among individuals with moderate alcohol consumption, Higher dietary fiber intake was linked to lower CRP levels. [β=-0.03, 95% CI: (-0.04, -0.01), p  < 0.001], while this relationship was weaker and non-significant in the almost non-drinking and excessive drinking groups. Overall, dietary fiber intake was negatively correlated with CRP levels after adjusting for other variables [β=-0.02, 95% CI: (-0.04, -0.01), p  = 0.003]. Sensitivity analyses using robust regression and variable transformations reinforced the consistency of these findings. Conclusions Our study indicates that dietary fiber intake is significantly inversely related to CRP levels in elderly individuals, particularly those with moderate alcohol consumption. This suggests that increasing dietary fiber intake could be a valuable lifestyle intervention for reducing inflammation and potentially lowering cardiovascular disease risk. However, the non-linear relationship between dietary fiber and CRP was not significant, warranting further research.