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Few With Hypertension Follow DASH Diet

Only about one-fifth of adults with hypertension follow the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, according to a study reported at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hypertension (ASH), held May 19–22 in Chicago.

The DASH diet, developed and studied by a National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute research team, has been shown to significantly lower blood pressure.¹ In the research reported at ASH, Philip Mellen, MD, of Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C., and colleagues reviewed 1999–2004 data from 4,386 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) with self-reported hypertension.

Based on self-reported dietary habits, the group generated a DASH score that reflected intake of nine target nutrients—total fat, saturated fat, protein, cholesterol, fiber, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium. People who met half the targets were considered in compliance with the DASH diet.

During the survey period, 22% of participants adhered to the DASH diet. When controlling for other factors, such as diabetes status and demographics, investigators found blacks were 39% less likely to follow the DASH diet than non-Hispanic whites.

In addition, people with a high school diploma were 80% more likely to follow the DASH diet than those without one. Adherence to the DASH diet was greater among older people and those with diabetes.

The DASH diet—rich in fruits, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products—was introduced in 1997.

When the results were compared with a study period before the DASH diet was introduced, 1988–1994, investigators found that accordance with the diet—as assessed by asking patients about their intake of specific DASH nutrients and diet formulations—was 8% lower in the current study period.

"We found low accordance with the DASH diet and that the dietary patterns of adults with hypertension have actually deteriorated since the diet was introduced," says Mellen. "Additional efforts are clearly needed to translate DASH into an effective tool to lower blood pressure and cardiovascular risk in hypertensive adults."

Footnotes

FYI

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute offers a patient education brochure on the DASH diet at www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/new_dash.pdf.

References

1. Vollmer WM, Sacks FM, Ard J, et al.: Effects of diet and sodium intake on blood pressure: Subgroup analysis of the DASH-Sodium Trial. Ann Intern Med 135:1019–1028, 2001.[Abstract/Free Full Text]

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Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Goldfarb, B. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Goldfarb, B. Social Bookmarking                What's this?