Associations of dietary niacin, vitamin B6, and folate intakes with risk of rheumatoid arthritis: An Analysis Using NHANES Data from 2003-2018

Abstract

Abstract Background: The relationship between dietary niacin, vitamin B6, and folate intakes and the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has not been well established. This study aimed to investigate the associations between these nutrients and RA risk using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2018. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from participants in NHANES 2003-2018. Dietary niacin, vitamin B6, and folate intakes were assessed using 24-hour dietary recall interviews. The presence of RA was determined based on self-reported physician diagnoses. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for RA risk according to the intake of niacin, vitamin B6, and folate, adjusting for potential confounders. Results: A total of 24,151 participants reported having RA. After adjusting for potential confounders, an inverse association was observed between dietary niacin intake and RA risk (OR for the highest versus lowest quartile: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.54-0.84; Ptrend <0.001). Similarly, an inverse association were detected between vitamin B6 (OR: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.54-0.80; Ptrend <0.001) or folate (OR: 0.78; 95% CI: 0.64-0.95; P trend <0.001) intake and RA risk. Conclusions: In this large, nationally representative sample of U.S. adults, dietary intake of niacin, vitamin B6, and folate was negatively associated with the risk of RA. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings and elucidate potential underlying mechanisms.