Prevalence of Anemia in Patients With Cancer and Its Association With Dietary Inflammatory Index: A Population-Based Study From NHANES 1999 to 2023

Background : Anemia frequently occurs among cancer patients, yet whether the dietary inflammatory index (DII) is related to anemia remains unclear, highlighting a significant gap in current research. Objective : This study sought to determine the prevalence of anemia among cancer patients and its correlation with the DII. Methods : This study, which included 4600 cancer survivors, utilized data sourced from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey database covering the period from 1999 to 2023. Information on age, sex, race, education level, body mass index, smoking status, drinking status, hypertension, and diabetes was gathered for all participants. The relationship between anemia risk and DII was examined using logistic regression analysis. Results : Anemic cancer patients were found to have higher DII levels compared to their nonanemic counterparts.In multivariate regression models, the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for the second (Q2), third (Q3), and fourth (Q4) quartiles of DII were 1.24 (95% CI, 0.95–1.63; P = 0.118), 1.12 (95% CI, 0.84–1.48; P = 0.441), and 1.68 (95% CI, 1.28–2.21; P < 0.001), respectively. This finding indicates that for every 1-unit increase in the DII, the incidence of anemia in Q4 is 68% higher than that in Q1.Similar patterns of association were observed for subgroup analysis (all P values for interaction > 0.05). Conclusion : Among cancer patients, elevated DII levels have been linked to an increased risk of anemia. Therefore, greater emphasis should be placed on managing dietary inflammation as a means to more effectively prevent and manage anemia.This association may be important to consider in the context of clinicians prescribing for cancer patients prevalence of anemia management.