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(Hypertension. 2001;38:155.)
© 2001 American Heart Association, Inc.

Scientific Contributions

DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Diet Is Effective Treatment for Stage 1 Isolated Systolic Hypertension

Thomas J. Moore; Paul R. Conlin; Jamy Ard; Laura P. Svetkey; for the DASH Collaborative Research Group

From the Department of Medicine, Boston University Medical Center (T.J.M.), Boston, Mass; Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital (R.R.C.), Boston, Mass; Duke University Medical Center, Duke Hypertension Center (L.P.S., J.A.), Durham, NC; and Sarah W. Stedman Center for Nutritional Studies (L.P.S.), Durham, NC.

Correspondence to Thomas J. Moore, MD, Office of Clinical Research, Boston University Medical Center, Room A206, 715 Albany St, Boston, MA 02118. E-mail tmoore{at}bu.edu

Abstract—— Use of the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, which is rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy foods, significantly lowers blood pressure. Among the 459 participants in the DASH Trial, 72 had stage 1 isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) (systolic blood pressure, 140 to 159 mm Hg; diastolic blood pressure, <90 mm Hg). We examined the blood pressure response in these 72 participants to determine whether the DASH diet is an effective treatment for stage 1 ISH. After a 3-week run-in period on a typical American (control) diet, participants were randomly assigned for 8 weeks to 1 of 3 diets: a continuation of the control diet (n=25), a diet rich in fruits and vegetables (n=24), or the DASH diet (n=23). Sodium content was the same in the 3 diets, and caloric intake was adjusted during the trial to prevent weight change. Blood pressure was measured at baseline and at the end of the 8-week intervention period with standard sphygmomanometry. Use of the DASH diet significantly lowered systolic blood pressure compared with the control diet (-11.2 mm Hg; 95% confidence interval, -6.1 to -16.2 mm Hg; P<0.001) and the fruits/vegetables diet (-8.0 mm Hg; 95% confidence interval, -2.5 to -13.4 mm Hg; P<0.01). Overall, blood pressure in the DASH group fell from 146/85 to 134/82 mm Hg. Similar results were observed with 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure measurements. In the DASH diet group, 18 of 23 participants (78%) reduced their systolic blood pressure to <140 mm Hg, compared with 24% and 50% in the control and fruits/vegetables groups, respectively. Our results indicate that the DASH diet, which is rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy foods, is effective as first-line therapy in stage 1 ISH.

Key Words: diet • clinical trials • hypertension, systolic, isolated • blood pressure • aging

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