The Heart and Stroke Foundation has encouraged Canadians to eat a healthy diet, control salt intake, and be physically active to lower blood pressure. The latest results from the DASH study – Dietary Approaches to Stopping Hypertension – has confirmed these recommendations, providing more encouragement for people to choose a healthier diet. Research has shown that following a plan for healthy eating can reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure and lower already elevated blood pressure.

What are the DASH studies?
The DASH Diet is based on two studies, DASH and DASH-Sodium, that looked at ways of reducing blood pressure through changes in diet. In the DASH study, people were given one of three eating plans: a plan similar in nutrients to what most North Americans eat; the same plan but with extra vegetables and fruit; or the DASH diet, which is rich in vegetables, fruit and low-fat dairy foods and low in saturated fat, total fat and cholesterol.

The results were compelling. The diet higher in vegetables and fruit and the DASH diet both reduced blood pressure. The DASH diet had the greatest effect on blood pressure, lowering levels within two weeks of starting the plan. Not only was blood pressure reduced, but total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or “bad cholesterol” were lower, too.

In the DASH-Sodium study, participants were given one of three sodium plans: the DASH diet with 3,300 mg of salt (sodium) per day (a normal amount for many North Americans); 2,400 mg of salt (a moderately restricted amount); or 1,500 mg of salt (a more restricted amount, about 2/3 of a teaspoon). Blood pressure was lower for everyone on the DASH diet. However, the less salt people consumed, the greater the decrease in blood pressure. People who already had high blood pressure had the largest decrease in blood pressure. Read the rest of this entry »

(CBS)  A specially designed low-fat diet rich in fruits and vegetables may do much more than just combat high blood pressure, as originally intended. New research shows it can also reduce cholesterol levels and lower a person’s overall heart-disease risk.

The study found overweight middle-aged men and women who followed the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet, known as the DASH diet, for eight weeks were able to reduce their cholesterol levels by an average of 13 mg/dL. Based on those results, researchers estimate that continuing to follow the diet long-term would reduce the patient’s cardiovascular risk by about 10%.

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A new study confirms that people with high blood pressure can reduce their risk of heart disease by making simple changes in their diet. Our Healthwatch contributor Dr. Bernadine Healy tells us more.
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, affects nearly 50 Million Americans, putting them at high risk for heart disease. The January 4 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine compares the effectiveness of the so-called DASH Diet–Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, and a reduced-salt diet, and both, in reducing high blood pressure.

Interview with Dr. Bernadine Healy

 
What is the DASH diet and how long has it been around?

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Study: Helpful To Sub Protein Or Unsaturated Fats For Carbs

A new study shows that a little tweaking of diets already known to be good for the heart appears to make them even better, says The Early Show.medical correspondent Dr. Emily Senay

Health experts agree that limiting saturated fats such as those in red meat and butter lowers a person’s risk of heart disease, Senay points out. And a widely-studied heart-healthy alternative, known as the “DASH” diet, which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, is recommended for controlling high blood pressure.

The “DASH” diet falls within current United States dietary guidelines. It’s low in saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium and sweets, and high in carbohydrates like those found in fruits, vegetables, and fiber. It’s also high in potassium and other minerals. In addition, the eating plan includes smaller amounts of lean meats, poultry, fish, legumes, and nuts.

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Women who eat diets similar to the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet梬hich is low in animal protein, moderate in low-fat dairy products and high in plant proteins, fruits and vegetables梐ppear to have a lower risk of coronary heart disease and stroke, according to a report in the April 14 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

The DASH diet has been shown to reduce both systolic (top number) and diastolic (bottom number) blood pressure in individuals with high or normal blood pressure, according to background information in the article. The diet has also been shown to reduce low-density lipoprotein (揵ad? cholesterol and is recommended in national dietary guidelines as an example of a healthy eating pattern.

Teresa T. Fung, Sc.D., of Simmons College, Boston, and colleagues studied 88,517 female nurses age 34 to 59 in the Nurses? Health Study who did not have cardiovascular disease or diabetes in 1980.

Seven times from 1980 through 2004, the women reported the types of foods they ate regularly over the previous year. Researchers then calculated a DASH score for each woman based on eight food and nutrient components.

Their scores increased when they ate more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and legumes and stayed close to the recommended amounts of low-fat dairy.

Scores decreased with increased consumption of red and processed meats, sweetened beverages and sodium.

Through 24 years of follow up, 2,129 women had a non-fatal heart attack, 976 died of coronary heart disease and 2,317 had strokes.

Higher DASH scores were associated with a lower risk for heart disease and stroke. When separated into groups based on their DASH scores, the one-fifth of women who had diets that were most similar to the DASH diet were 24 percent less likely to develop fatal or non-fatal coronary heart disease and 18 percent less likely to have a stroke than the one-fifth of women with the lowest DASH scores.

In a subgroup of women who provided blood samples, higher DASH scores were also associated with lower levels of C-reactive protein and interleukin 6. These compounds are markers of inflammation, which has been associated with heart disease risk.

Similar studies should be conducted to determine if associations between the DASH-style diet and risk for heart disease and stroke remain similar in other populations, the authors note. In addition, the diet should be compared to others shown to predict the risk of heart disease, including the Mediterranean diet.

Editor’s Note: This study was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health.

It has long been known that a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables and low in fat is good for the heart. Now, this theory is reinforced by new research, according to which a similar diet – the DASH diet - reduces blood pressure and decreases a woman’s risk for heart attack and stroke.

The DASH diet, also known as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, highlights the benefits of eating foods low in cholesterol and sodium by emphasizing on fruits and vegetables and minimizing red meat and fat. This kind of diet keeps blood pressure in normal limits, lowers cholesterol, helps lose weight sensibly and eat healthier, according to other research.

Known for its huge benefits, the DASH Diet is recommended by the USDA’s 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the American Heart Association and the U.S. High Blood Pressure Guidelines.
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