Low-fat dairy consumption and reduced risk of hypertension: the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN) cohort.
BACKGROUND
Some observational studies have shown a beneficial effect of dairy consumption on blood pressure, especially in overweight and relatively young (<40 y) persons. However, no results from prospective studies conducted in a free-living population exist that show this association in middle-aged adults.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of the present study was to assess whether total, low-fat, and whole-fat dairy consumption was associated prospectively with the risk of hypertension.


METHODS
This was a prospective study conducted in 5880 university graduates in Spain, aged >20 y in 2000 (mean age: 37 y), free of hypertension and cardiovascular disease at baseline, and followed-up with mailed questionnaires for a median of 27 mo. Dairy consumption was assessed with a previously validated semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire.


RESULTS
One hundred eighty new cases of hypertension were identified. The hazard ratio of hypertension between extreme quintiles of low-fat dairy product consumption was 0.46 (95% CI: 0.26, 0.84; P for trend = 0.02) after adjustment for the main known risk factors for hypertension and several dietary factors. No significant association between whole-fat dairy products or total calcium intake and incident hypertension was seen.


CONCLUSIONS
In this Mediterranean cohort, low-fat dairy consumption, but not whole-fat dairy consumption, was associated with a lower risk of incident hypertension.
Alonso
Alvaro
A
Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
Beunza
Juan José
JJ
Delgado-Rodríguez
Miguel
M
Martínez
J Alfredo
JA
Martínez-González
Miguel Angel
MA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002136:Calcium, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003611:Dairy Products; D038441:Diet, Mediterranean; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D004041:Dietary Fats