DASH diet reduces long-term risk of heart disease

What this study tells us about the DASH diet and cardiovascular health

Senior author Stephen Juraschek, MD, PhD, a diet and nutrition specialist with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, and colleagues examined data from 437 adult participants. None of the participants were taking medications to lower their blood pressure or manage their glucose levels.

All participants started out following a “typical” American diet, one high in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol. After three weeks, the patients were separated into three groups for another eight weeks. One group remained on the control diet, a second group started eating fruits and vegetables more regularly, and a third group shifted to the DASH diet.

The three groups had comparable ages. All data came from National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

Overall, the DASH diet was associated with significantly lowering systolic blood pressure (SBP), total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The fruits and vegetables diet did lower SBP, but not as much as the DASH diet. Also, the mean 10-year ASCVD risk scores at the start of the study were 1.84% for the control group, 2.08% for the fruits and vegetables group and 1.69% for the DASH group. After eight weeks, the fruits and vegetables diet was associated with a relative difference in that 10-year ASCVD risk of -9.9% compared to the control diet. The DASH diet was even more effective, resulting in a relative difference in the 10-year ASCVD risk of -10.3%.

In addition, the team noted, the DASH diet was linked to a bigger impact among Black adults and women than non-Black adults and men, respectively.

“Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women,” the authors wrote. “Hypertension is also more strongly associated with heart failure and death in women, and women are less likely to receive risk factor modification therapy (e.g., fewer statin prescriptions). Therefore, our findings that DASH may be more efficacious in women are relevant for lifestyle counseling in this demographic group.”

Juraschek et al. did note that their work had certain limitations. For instance, these patients were originally enrolled nearly three decades ago, and the “typical” American diet has likely changed during that time. Also, CVD risk was evaluated using a specific ASCVD calculator as opposed to tracking actual adverse events.

Even with these limitations in mind, however, the group said their analysis “support ongoing public health initiative to promote greater consumptions of fruits and vegetables at large and the DASH diet, especially among women and Black adults.”