Association between composite dietary antioxidant index and abdominal aortic calcification: Results from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013 to 2014

Abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) is a significant indicator of cardiovascular disease. The purpose of our study was to investigate the association between the composite dietary antioxidant index (CDAI) and AAC in adults. We obtained data for 1205 participants older than 40 years who were enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013 to 2014, the mean age of the subjects was 58.9 ± 12.07 years, and there were 570 males (47.30%). Among them, 47.05% suffer from hypertension and 14.69% have diabetes. AAC scores were obtained using the Kauppila scoring system, which used dual energy X-ray absorptiometry to measure the calcification degree of the anterior and posterior walls of the aorta near the L1 to L4 lumbar vertebrae to evaluate the calcification degree of the abdominal aorta. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to analyze the associations between the CDAI and AAC. Restricted cubic spline and 2-piecewise linear regression were used to further analyze the relationship between the CDAI and severe AAC (SAAC). There was a negative linear relationship between the CDAI and AAC; for every 1 unit increase in the CDAI, the AAC decreased by 0.24 ([-0.4 to -0.07], P = =0.006) points after adjusting for all confounding variables. According to the multivariate logistic regression model, the incidence of SAAC decreased by 25% [(0.6- 0.93), p for tren = =0.009], and a linear association between the CDAI and SAAC was found using a restricted cubic spline, with -4.1 being the turning point. According to the subgroup analyses, this negative relationship was not affected by sex, alcohol consumption status, smoking status or diabetes status P >.05), with the exception of hypertension P = .035). Our study revealed a negative linear relationship between the CDAI and AAC, and the CDAI was a protective factor against the risk of SAAC.