Abstract P419: Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Risk of Hypertension in US Adults

Abstract

Introduction: Ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption has an adverse impact on cardiovascular health. Current research is primarily based on non-US study populations. The purpose of our study was to estimate the association between UPF consumption and risk of incident hypertension in a population of middle-aged black and white men and women. Methods: Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study participants who were hypertension free at baseline and had complete dietary, covariate, and hypertension data from visit 1 (1987 - 1989) were included (n = 8,866). Participants were followed through November 30, 2019 for the development of hypertension defined as systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg, or recent patient-reported use of blood pressure lowering medication. Processing level was determined using the NOVA classification system. Data were analyzed using three progressively adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression models. Results: 6,960 participants developed hypertension during a median follow-up of 13 years. Participants in the highest quartile of UPF consumption were 9% more likely to develop incident hypertension than those in the lowest quartile (model 2 HR: 1.09; CI: 1.02-1.16; P for trend = 0.01) ( Table ). Participants who were in the highest quartile of sugar-sweetened beverages and red and processed meat consumption had a 20% higher risk of hypertension (model 2 HR, 1.20; CI, 1.12 - 1.28; P for trend <0.001) and 9% higher risk of hypertension (model 2 HR, 1.09; CI, 1.02 - 1.17; P for trend <0.001), respectively, when compared to the lowest quartile. Participants in the highest quartile of minimally or unprocessed food consumption had 9% lower incidence of hypertension (model 2 HR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.85 - 0.97; P for trend 0.01). Conclusions: High UPF consumption, specifically sugar-sweetened beverages and red and processed meat, was associated with higher risk of hypertension, whereas minimally or unprocessed food consumption was associated with lower hypertension risk.