Patients with radiographic axial spondylarthritis have an impaired dietary intake—a cross-sectional study with matched controls from northern Sweden

• Published in: Arthritis Research & Therapy
• Main Authors: Erik Hulander, Tatiana Zverkova Sandström, Jeannette Beckman Rehnman, Lucy Law, Stefan Söderberg, Helena Forsblad-d’Elia
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2023
• Subjects: Axial spondyloarthritis (D000089183); Ankylosing spondylitis (D013167); Diet (D004032); Malnutrition (D044342); Diseases of the musculoskeletal system; RC925-935; Northern Sweden
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13075-023-03126-3; https://doaj.org/article/7aecde8f5c914de38a2be9ff37d12f3d

Abstract Background Radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (r-axSpA) is one of the most common chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases, affecting about 0.2% of the Swedish population. Adequate nutritional intake is essential for maintaining physiological functions. A poor diet increases the risk of developing conditions such as obesity, osteoporosis, and/or atherosclerosis. Diet quality is also theorized to affect systemic inflammation. Dietary habits in patients with r-axSpA are largely unknown. The aims of this study were to assess dietary nutrient intake in r-axSpA patients and examine whether it differs compared to persons without r-axSpA. Methods r-axSpA patients (modified NY criteria) at the rheumatology clinic in Region Västerbotten, northern Sweden, were invited to take part in the Backbone study which investigates disease severity and comorbidities. In total, 155 patients were included. Nutritional intake was assessed by the semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire MiniMeal-Q. Controls were collected from the Swedish CArdioPulmonary bioImage Study (n = 30,154), a study that invited participants 50–64 years of age by random selection from the Swedish population register. Out of the 155 r-axSpA patients, 81 were in the same age span. Four controls were identified for each patient, matched on age (± 1 year), sex, and geographic location. Data on dietary intake was available for 319 controls. Statistical comparisons of dietary intake between patients with r-axSpA and controls were done by exact conditional logistic regression analysis, adjusted for country of birth, educational level, single household, weight, smoking status, and energy intake. Results Patients had a comparatively significantly higher energy intake from carbohydrates, a lower fiber density, and a lower intake of marine omega-3 fatty acids. Furthermore, intake of vitamins D, E, and K as well as selenium, folate, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin A, and β-carotene (a precursor of vitamin A and marker of vegetable and ...