Principal components analyses revealed that summary parameters derived from repeated cortisol measurements can be grouped into two meaningful general categories: measures of the magnitude of response and measures of the pattern of response over time.

Objectives To determine whether the dietary inflammatory index (DII) is associated with inflammatory or metabolic biomarkers and metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) among police officers. Methods Cross-sectional data from the Buffalo Cardio-Metabolic Occupational Police Stress study were derived from saliva and fasting blood samples, anthropometric measurements, long-term shiftwork histories, and demographic, stress/depression, and food frequency questionnaires. MetSyn was defined using standard criteria. Results Officers in DII quartiles 2–4 were more likely to exceed a 3.0mg/L threshold for C-reactive protein (odds ratio [OR]=1.88, 95% confidence interval [95%CI]=1.02–3.45; OR=2.17, 95%CI=1.19–3.95; OR=1.57, 95%CI=0.85–2.88, respectively) compared to quartile 1. The glucose intolerance component of MetSyn was more prevalent among officers in DII quartile 4 compared to quartile 1 (OR=2.03, 95%CI=1.08–3.82). Conclusions A pro-inflammatory diet was associated with elevated CRP and with the glucose intolerance component of the MetSyn.