Abstract P282: Potato Consumption, Average Blood Pressure, and the Incidence of Hypertension in 2 Mediterranean Cohorts

Abstract

Objectives: To assess the association between potato consumption, blood pressure changes and the risk of hypertension in two Mediterranean populations. Design: Separate analyses were performed in the PREDIMED (PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea), a multicenter nutrition intervention trial, and the SUN (“Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra”) project, an open, prospective cohort, both in Spain. Participants: The PREDIMED trial included 6,940 participants aged 55-80 years at high risk for cardiovascular disease. The SUN project included 13,837 middle-aged participants who were university graduates. Main outcome measures: In PREDIMED, generalized estimating equations adjusted for lifestyle and dietary characteristics were used to assess changes in blood pressure across quintiles of total potato consumption during a 4-year follow-up. Controlled blood pressure levels during follow-up were also assessed. For SUN, multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HR) for incident hypertension during an average 6.7-year follow-up were calculated. Results: In PREDIMED, the mean (SD) total potato intake was 81.9 (40.6) g/day. No overall significant differences in blood pressure changes were detected based on consumption of potatoes. For total potatoes, the mean change in systolic BP after multivariate adjustment was quintile 5 (Q5) vs. quintile 1 (Q1): -0.90, 95% CI: (-2.56 to 0.76) mmHg, p for trend=0.14 and for diastolic BP it was Q5 vs. Q1: -0.02, 95% CI: (-0.93 to 0.89) mmHg, p for trend=0.81. In SUN, the mean (SD) total potato consumption was 52.7 (33.6) g/day and no significant association between potato consumption and hypertension incidence was observed: HR: for total potato consumption, Q5 vs. Q1: 0.98, 95% CI: (0.80 to 1.19), p for trend=0.84. Conclusions: Potato consumption is not associated with changes in blood pressure or risk of hypertension in Mediterranean populations and this might be explained by relatively low consumption of potatoes and characteristics of the traditional Mediterranean diet, particularly the custom of accompanying potatoes with vegetables or legumes and dressing them with olive oil.