Abstract
Heart failure (HF) is a major health care burden increasing in prevalence over time. Effective, evidence-based interventions for HF prevention and management are needed to improve patient longevity, symptom control, and quality of life. Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet interventions can have a positive impact for HF patients. However, the absence of a consensus for comprehensive dietary guidelines and for pragmatic evidence limits the ability of health care providers to implement clinical recommendations. The refinement of medical nutrition therapy through precision nutrition approaches has the potential to reduce the burden of HF, improve clinical care, and meet the needs of diverse patients. The aim of this review is to summarize current evidence related to HF dietary recommendations including DASH diet nutritional interventions and to develop initial recommendations for DASH diet implementation in outpatient HF management. Articles involving human studies were obtained using the following search terms: Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH diet), diet pattern, diet, metabolism, and heart failure. Only full-text articles written in English were included in this review. As DASH nutritional interventions have been proposed, limitations of these studies are the small sample size and non-randomization of interventions, leading to less reliable evidence. Randomized controlled interventions are needed to offer definitive evidence related to the use of the DASH diet in HF management.
Highlights
6.2 million adults in the United States have heart failure (HF) [1]
The purpose of this review is to summarize the literature related to the implementation and effectiveness of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet in outpatient HF management and to inform future precision nutrition research for cardiovascular health
Use of the DASH diet in diagnosed HF patients has not yet become standard of care in HF management as it has not been evaluated in pragmatic clinical trials
Summary
6.2 million adults in the United States have heart failure (HF) [1]. The overall improved average survival of the population and the persistent incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) will increase the prevalence of HF and impair the functional quality of life of these individuals and their caregivers. Strategies for the effective management of HF are urgently needed. Though primary prevention of incident HF is an important research topic, the scope of this review does not include HF prevention and instead focuses on the management of diagnosed HF. HF is the end stage manifestation of various pathophysiologic disruptions of cardiac function characterized by insufficient cardiac output to meet body tissue metabolic demands [2]. HF does not affect all populations and is a source of health disparities
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
