title: 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.
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology-Hypertension Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. pconlin@rics.bwh.harvard.edu
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Conlin
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chow
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: L P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Svetkey
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Harsha
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Sacks
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Appel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D003971:Diastole; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013599:Systole; D016896:Treatment Outcome