The effect of dietary patterns on blood pressure control in hypertensive patients: Results from the dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) trial

Abstract

To determine the impact of dietary patterns on the control of hypertension we studied the subgroup of 133 participants with systolic blood pressure (BP) of 140 to 159 mm Hg and/or diastolic BP of 90 to 95 mm Hg enrolled in the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) study. Participants were fed a control diet for a 3-week period and were then randomized to receive for 8 weeks either the control diet; a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, but otherwise similar to control; or a combination diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products, including whole grains, fish, poultry, and nuts, and reduced in fats, red meats, sweets, and sugar-containing beverages. Sodium intake and body weight were held constant throughout the study. The combination diet significantly reduced systolic BP (-11.4 mm Hg, P < .001) and diastolic BP (-5.5 mm Hg, P < .001). The fruits-and-vegetables diet also significantly reduced systolic BP (-7.2 mm Hg, P < .001) and diastolic BP (-2.8 mm Hg, P = .013). The combination diet produced significantly greater BP effects (P < .05) than the fruits-and-vegetables diet. Blood pressure changes were evident within 2 weeks of starting the intervention feeding. After the 8-week intervention period, 70% of participants eating the combination diet had a normal BP (systolic BP < 140 and diastolic BP < 90 mm Hg) compared with 45% on the fruits-and-vegetables diet and 23% on the control diet. In patients with hypertension, the DASH combination diet effectively lowers BP and may be useful in achieving control of Stage 1 hypertension.

Role of vegetables and fruits in Mediterranean diets to prevent hypertension

“…This finding might seem to be inconsistent with previous results of other prospective epidemiological studies (Rouse et al, 1983;Margetts et al, 1986;Appel et al, 1997Appel et al, , 2003Conlin et al, 2000;Moore et al, 2001;John et al, 2002;Ard et al, 2004;Miura et al, 2004;Elmer et al, 2006) Moreover, an inverse association between F&V consumption and prevalence of hypertension has been observed in the CARDIO2000 study, a Mediterranean case-control study (Panagiotakos et al, 2003a).…”

Effects of Intensive Low-Salt Diet Education on Albuminuria among Nondiabetic Patients with Hypertension Treated with Olmesartan

“…The recommended dietary salt intake for patients with CKD and hypertension is ,5-6 g/d (2.4 g/d for sodium; approximately equal to 100 mEq/d sodium excretion) (22,23). According to the sodium DFQ55 in this study, participants exhibited relatively lower levels of sodium consumption (105.1 mEq at week 0 and 78.6 mEq at week 16, which are equivalent to sodium intakes of 2.4 and 1.8 g/d, respectively) than typically consumed by Korean populations or reported in previous studies (24)(25)(26).…”

Blood pressure response to calcium supplementation: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

“…In the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) trial, the effect of dietary patterns on BP was assessed. 59 The DASH combination diet, rich in fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products, reduced systolic and diastolic BP to a greater extent Prospective cohort studies provide better insight into the long-term BP effect of calcium intake than trials, that are mostly of short duration. However, observational data must be interpreted with caution because of inaccuracies in the assessment of habitual calcium intake, potential confounding by other dietary and lifestyle factors and the fact that the range of calcium intake within a single population may be too limited to demonstrate an effect on BP.…”