Stricter Adherence to Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) and Its Association with Lower Blood Pressure, Visceral Fat, and Waist Circumference in University Students

Abstract

How diet affects blood pressure (BP) in young adults has not been studied in sufficient depth. For this purpose, we analyzed adherence to the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) dietary pattern and BP in Spanish university students. The sample population of our cross-sectional study consisted of 244 subjects (18-31 years old), who were in good health. Measurements were taken of their systolic and diastolic BP. A food frequency questionnaire and 72 h food record were used to assess their dietary intake in the previous year. The resulting DASH score was based on foodstuffs that were emphasized or minimized in the DASH diet. Analysis of covariance adjusted for potential confounding factors showed that the mean values for systolic BP, visceral fat rating, and waist circumference (WC) of the subjects in the upper third of the DASH score were significantly lower than those of the subjects in the lower third (for systolic BP: mean difference −4.36 mmHg, p = 0.004; for visceral fat rating: mean difference −0.4, p = 0.024; for waist circumference: mean difference −3.2, p = 0.019). Stricter adherence to the DASH dietary pattern led to a lower BP, visceral fat rating, and WC values in these university students. Nevertheless, further prospective studies are needed to confirm these results.

Impact of Intensive Lifestyle Treatment (Diet Plus Exercise) on Endothelial and Vascular Function, Arterial Stiffness and Blood Pressure in Stage 1 Hypertension: Results of the HINTreat Randomized Controlled Trial

“…Lifestyle modification plays a key role in the treatment of EH by decreasing the levels of BP [16][17][18], in some cases delaying the onset of pharmacological treatment among patients at stage I EH of low CVD risk [19] and importantly by improving the cardiometabolic profile of patients [20]. In EH, attaining a healthy diet remains the hallmark of non-pharmacological treatment [21].…”

Nutrition, Body Composition, and Blood Pressure in Children and Adolescents from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

“…A meta-analysis in 2016 showed that the DASH diet significantly reduced body weight, BMI and WC [ 40 ]. Similarly, a study based on Spanish university students (N = 244) showed lower visceral fat and WC in addition to lower BP, in students who adhered more strictly to the DASH dietary pattern [ 41 ] and a systematic review of the 2018 literature showed the beneficial effect of the DASH diet on BP as well as obesity in adolescents [ 42 ]. A weight reduction of approximately 5 kg led to a BP reduction of 3.6–4.4 mmHg in a meta-analysis of 25 randomized controlled studies on adult subjects [ 43 ], and a decrease in the degree of obesity showed decreased BP in the pediatric groups as well [ 44 ].…”

Development and validation of a nomogram to better predict hypertension based on a 10-year retrospective cohort study in China

“…It is well known that the pathophysiology of hypertension is shaped by combined action of environmental, genetic, anatomical, neural, endocrinal, humoral, and hemodynamic factors ( Rodriguez-Iturbe et al, 2017 ). For example, the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet is reported to be closely related to lower risk of hypertension ( Navarro-Prado et al, 2020 ; Francisco et al, 2020 ). Moreover, psychosocial factors are also possible potentiators and triggers of hypertension.…”