PD522 - THE EFFECT OF MEDITERRANEAN DIET ADHERENCE ON CLINICAL PARAMETERS IN ADULTS WITH AXIAL SPONDYLOARTHRITIS

PD522

THE EFFECT OF MEDITERRANEAN DIET ADHERENCE ON CLINICAL PARAMETERS IN ADULTS WITH AXIAL SPONDYLOARTHRITIS

D. Yılmaz¹, A. Durmaz¹, N. B. Karaca², D. Orlinov³, S. Gücenmez⁴, D. Solmaz⁵, G. Kaner^6,*

¹Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Izmir Katip Celebi University, Health Sciences Institute, ²Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Izmir Katip Celebi University, Faculty of Health Sciences, İzmir, Türkiye, ³Department of Physical Therapy, University of Iceland, Faculty of Medicine, Reykjavik, Iceland, ⁴Rheumatology Clinic, Izmir Katip Celebi University, Ataturk Training and Research Hospital, ⁵Division of Rheumatology, Izmir Katip Celebi University, Faculty of Medicine, ⁶Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Izmir Katip Celebi University, Faculty of Health Sciences, İzmir, Türkiye

Rationale: Mediterranean diet (MD) has anti-inflammatory properties which recently gained interest in the management of rheumatic diseases. However, the effects of MD on axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), a chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease mainly affecting spine, are largely unknown. Therefore, this cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the effect of MD adherence on clinical outcomes in adults with axSpA.

Methods: Fifty adults (aged ≥18 years) who were followed in the rheumatology outpatient clinic of a university hospital were included. MD adherence was assessed using the MD Adherence Screener (MEDAS). Clinical parameters included disease activity (Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index, BASDAI), functional status (Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index, BASFI), overall health status (Assessment of SpondyloArthritis International Society–Health Index, ASAS-HI), quality of life (Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life Questionnaire, ASQoL), and emotional status (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, HADS).

Results: Nearly half of the participants demonstrated moderate adherence to the MD (48%), while others had high (28%) or poor adherence (24%). Physical characteristics (age, sex, and body mass index) were similar between groups (Table, p>0.05). Participants with higher MD adherence presented better scores, however, these differences did not reach statistically significant levels (Table, p>0.05).

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Conclusion: According to our results, even though higher MD adherence resulted in better clinical status, a clear effect of MD adherence was not detected on clinical parameters in adults with axSpA. Further studies employing larger sample sizes and longitudinal designs may more accurately reveal the potential role of MD in the axSpA management.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared