Dietary Approaches To Stop Hypertension Research Articles

Assessing adherence to plant-rich dietary patterns using metabolic signatures of plant food metabolites

Diet is an important modifiable lifestyle factor for human health, and plant-rich dietary patterns are associated with lower risk of non-communicable diseases in numerous studies. However, objective assessment of plant-rich dietary exposure in nutritional epidemiology studies remains challenging. This study aimed to develop and evaluate metabolic signatures of the most widely used plant-rich dietary patterns using a targeted metabolomics method comprising of 108 plant food metabolites.A total of 218 healthy participants from the POLYNTAKE cohort were included, aged 51.5 ± 17.7 years, with 24h urine samples measured using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. The validation dataset employed three sample types to test the robustness of the signature, including 24h urine (ABP cohort, n = 88), plasma (POLYNTAKE cohort, n = 195), and spot urine (TwinsUK cohort, n = 198). Adherence to the plant-rich diet was assessed using a priori plant- rich dietary patterns. A combination of metabolites that evaluates the adherence and metabolic response to a specific diet was identified as metabolic signature. We applied linear regression analysis to select the metabolites significantly associated with dietary patterns (adjusting energy intake), and ridge regression to estimate penalized weights of each candidate metabolite. The correlation between metabolic signature and the dietary pattern was assessed by Spearman analysis (FDR < 0.05).The metabolic signatures consisting of 42, 22, 35, 15, 33, and 33 predictive metabolites across different subclasses were found to be associated with adherence to Amended Mediterranean Score (A-MED), Original MED (O-MED), Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND), healthy Plant-based Diet Index (hPDI) and unhealthy PDI (uDPI), respectively. The overlapping and distinct predictive metabolites across six dietary patterns predominantly consisted of phenolic acids (n = 38), including 14 cinnamic acids, 14 hydroxybenzoic acids, seven phenylacetic acids, and three hippuric acids. Six metabolites were included in all signatures, including two lignans: enterolactone-glucuronide, enterolactone-sulfate, and four phenolic acids: cinnamic acid, cinnamic acid-4'-sulfate, 2'- hydroxycinnamic acid, and 4-methoxybenzoic acid-3-sulfate. The established signatures were robustly correlated with dietary patterns in validation dataset (r = 0.13 - 0.40, FDR < 0.05).We developed and evaluated a set of metabolic signatures that robustly reflected the adherence and metabolic response to plant-rich dietary patterns, suggesting the potential of these signatures to serve as an objective assessment of free-living eating habits.

A Comprehensive Investigation into the Relationship between Dietary Therapy Strategies for Metabolic Illnesses and the Underlying Myriad Factors

Abstract: Maintaining a well-balanced diet and considering how to fulfill all the adequate nutrition required by the body will help us live a healthy lifestyle. The risk of illness, infection, exhaustion, and poor performance increases when a balanced diet is absent. The anti-treatment technique of food modification has gained a lot of attention in research over the past few decades. Popular diets include Mediterranean, vegan, and low-carbohydrate diets. The vegan diet is a plant-based eating plan that eliminates animal products and emphasizes fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. The Palaeolithic age diet emphasizes eating full, unprocessed foods available to early people while avoiding grains, legumes, dairy products, refined sugar, and processed foods. Proponents claim it can improve health, and aid in weight loss. Numerous dietary patterns, such as caloric restriction (CR), dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH), ketogenic diets (KD), the Mediterranean diet (Medi), and Mediterranean-DASH diet Intervention for Neurological Delay (MIND) diet, have been tried to reduce body weight, any other disease infections, and cognitive decline. Increased Mediterranean diet adherence was linked to reductions in cardiovascular and neurological conditions, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related cognitive loss. The MIND diet, a new good dietary pattern has been linked to a significantly lower incidence of AD and slower rates of cognitive deterioration. The current piece of work emphasizes the introduction, nutritional components, and health advantages of different types of diet.

Effect of the DASH diet on the sodium-chloride cotransporter and aquaporin-2 in urinary extracellular vesicles.

The dietary approach to stop hypertension (DASH) diet combines the antihypertensive effect of a low sodium and high potassium diet. In particular, the potassium component of the diet acts as a switch in the distal convoluted tubule to reduce sodium reabsorption, similar to a diuretic but without the side effects. Previous trials to understand the mechanism of the DASH diet were based on animal models and did not characterize changes in human ion channel protein abundance. More recently, protein cargo of urinary extracellular vesicles (uEVs) has been shown to mirror tissue content and physiological changes within the kidney. We designed an inpatient open label nutritional study transitioning hypertensive volunteers from an American style diet to DASH diet to examine physiological changes in adults with stage 1 hypertension otherwise untreated (Sacks FM, Svetkey LP, Vollmer WM, Appel LJ, Bray GA, Harsha D, Obarzanek E, Conlin PR, Miller ER 3rd, Simons-Morton DG, Karanja N, Lin PH; DASH-Sodium Collaborative Research Group. N Engl J Med 344: 3-10, 2001). Urine samples from this study were used for proteomic characterization of a large range of pure uEVs (small to large) to reveal kidney epithelium changes in response to the DASH diet. These samples were collected from nine volunteers at three time points, and mass spectrometry identified 1,800 proteins from all 27 samples. We demonstrated an increase in total SLC12A3 [sodium-chloride cotransporter (NCC)] abundance and a decrease in aquaporin-2 (AQP2) in uEVs with this mass spectrometry analysis, immunoblotting revealed a significant increase in the proportion of activated (phosphorylated) NCC to total NCC and a decrease in AQP2 from day 5 to day 11. This data demonstrates that the human kidney's response to nutritional interventions may be captured noninvasively by uEV protein abundance changes. Future studies need to confirm these findings in a larger cohort and focus on which factor drove the changes in NCC and AQP2, to which degree NCC and AQP2 contributed to the antihypertensive effect and address if some uEVs function also as a waste pathway for functionally inactive proteins rather than mirroring protein changes.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Numerous studies link DASH diet to lower blood pressure, but its mechanism is unclear. Urinary extracellular vesicles (uEVs) offer noninvasive insights, potentially replacing tissue sampling. Transitioning to DASH diet alters kidney transporters in our stage 1 hypertension cohort: AQP2 decreases, NCC increases in uEVs. This aligns with increased urine volume, reduced sodium reabsorption, and blood pressure decline. Our data highlight uEV protein changes as diet markers, suggesting some uEVs may function as waste pathways. We analyzed larger EVs alongside small EVs, and NCC in immunoblots across its molecular weight range.

비만 당뇨 위험군의 복합운동과 DASH식단이 혈당 및 체지방 감소에 미치는 효과

비만 당뇨 위험군의 복합운동과 DASH식단이 혈당 및 체지방 감소에 미치는 효과

Do Popular Diets Impact Fertility?

Infertility affects 15% of the population in developed countries, and its prevalence is increasing. Fertility can be influenced by different factors. Although key factors like maternal age cannot be changed, there is growing evidence that other modifiable factors, such as diet, can have an impact on fertility. Diet has become increasingly important in recent years for a number of reasons: the new trend toward a healthy lifestyle, the higher prevalence of certain digestive disorders, a lack of time that leads people to consume more prepared and processed food, and personal choice to not eat meat, among others. To meet these needs, several diets have recently become popular, such as the Mediterranean diet, known as the gold standard of health; the DASH diet, known for preventing hypertension; the Western diet, characterized by processed food; the ketogenic diet, characterized by low carbohydrate intake; and the vegetarian diet, which is the choice for people who do not eat meat or animal by-products. Diets present a unique composition characterized by the presence or absence of specific nutrients, which have also been associated with male and female fertility individually. This review assesses the impact of these diets and of macro- and micronutrients on both female and male fertility.

Adherence to the dietary approaches to stop hypertension diet reduces the risk of diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis

BackgroundDespite several epidemiological studies reporting a significant association between adherence to the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and the risk of diabetes mellitus, the results remain controversial. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we aimed to summarize the existing evidence from published observational studies and evaluate the dose-response relationship between adherence to the DASH diet and diabetes mellitus risk.MethodsWe performed a systematic search for relevant articles published up to September 2023 using electronic databases of PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). A random-effects model was applied to calculate the combined relative risks (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the highest compared to the lowest categories of DASH score in relation to diabetes mellitus risk. Heterogeneity among the included studies was assessed using the Cochran’s Q test and I-squared (I2) statistic. Literature search, study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment were performed by two independent reviewers.ResultsFifteen studies involving 557,475 participants and 57,064 diabetes mellitus cases were eligible for our analyses. Pooled analyses from included studies showed that high adherence to the DASH diet was significantly associated with a reduced risk of diabetes mellitus (RR: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.76–0.90, P < 0.001). Moreover, the dose-response meta-analysis revealed a linear trend between adherence to the DASH diet and diabetes mellitus (RR:0.99; 95%CI: 0.97–1.02, Pdose-response = 0.546, Pnonlinearity = 0.701). Subgroup analyses further revealed a significant inverse association between adherence to the DASH diet and diabetes mellitus risk in case-control studies (RR: 0.65; 95%CI: 0.29–1.43, P < 0.001), with a marginal inverse association in cohort studies (RR:0.83; 95%CI: 0.76–0.91, P < 0.001). Additionally, we conducted analyses separately by comparison and found a significant inverse association between DASH diet and diabetes mellitus risk in T3 vs T1 comparison studies (RR = 0.74; 95%CI: 0.64–0.86, P = 0.012).ConclusionThe findings of this study demonstrate a protective association between adherence to the DASH diet and risk of diabetes mellitus. However, further prospective cohort studies and randomized controlled trials are needed to validate these findings.

The association of circulating systemic inflammation with premature death and the protective role of the Mediterranean diet: a large prospective cohort study of UK biobank

BackgroundAlthough previous studies have identified specific circulating inflammatory markers associated with the risk of mortality, they have often overlooked the broader impact of a comprehensive inflammatory response on health outcomes. This study aims to assess the association between circulating systemic inflammation and age-related hospitalization and premature death, as well as explore the potential mediating effects of various dietary patterns on these associations.MethodsA total of 448,574 participants enrolled in the UK Biobank study were included. Circulating C-reactive protein(CRP), white blood cell count(WBC), platelet count(Plt), and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio(NLR) were measured, which were used to establish a weighted systemic inflammatory index of inflammation index(INFLA-Score). Dietary intake information was documented through 24-hour dietary recalls, and dietary pattern scores including Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension(DASH), Mediterranean(MED), and Healthy Eating Index-2020(HEI-2020) were calculated. Cox proportional hazards regression models were performed to assess the associations between INFLA-Score and age-related disease hospitalization, cause-specific and all-cause premature death.ResultsDuring a median follow-up of 12.65 years, 23,784 premature deaths were documented. After adjusting for multiple covariates, higher levels of CRP, WBC, NLR, and INFLA-Score were significantly associated with increased risks of age-related disease hospitalization(HRCRP=1.19; 95%:1.17–1.21; HRWBC=1.17; 95%:1.15–1.19; HRNLR=1.18; 95%:1.16–1.20; HRINFLA−Score=1.19; 95%:1.17–1.21) and premature death(HRCRP=1.68; 95%:1.61–1.75; HRWBC=1.23; 95%:1.18–1.27; HRNLR=1.45; 95%:1.40–1.50; HRINFLA−Score=1.58; 95%:1.52–1.64). Compared to the lowest INFLA-Score group, the highest INFLA-Score group was associated with increased values of whole-body and organ-specific biological age, and had a shortened life expectancy of 2.96 (95% CI 2.53–3.41) and 4.14 (95% CI 3.75–4.56) years at the age of 60 years in women and men, respectively. Additionally, we observed no significant association of the INFLA-Score with aging-related hospitalization and premature death among participants who were more adhering to the Mediterranean (MED) dietary pattern(HRAging−related hospitalization=1.07; 95%:0.99–1.16;HRPremature death=1.19; 95%:0.96–1.47).ConclusionA higher INFLA-Score was correlated with an increased risk of age-related hospitalization and premature death. Nevertheless, adherence to a Mediterranean (MED) diet may mitigate these associations.

Plant-Based Food for the Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes: Scoping Review.

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic condition with growing worldwide prevalence. Besides genetic factors, a sedentary lifestyle, excess weight, and inadequate eating habits, characterized by an excess intake of refined carbohydrates and ultra-processed foods, are contributing factors for the development of the disease. In this scenario, promoting a plant-based diet, and limiting animal product consumption while increasing the intake of vegetables, concurrently with healthy lifestyle habits, is a promising strategy to prevent T2DM. This scoping review, carried out between 2017 and 2022, aimed to gather evidence substantiating the benefits of a plant-based diet in T2DM prevention, considering different eating patterns, such as vegetarian, vegan, Mediterranean, and DASH diets. Several studies demonstrate a significant reduction in T2DM incidence among individuals adopting plant-based eating patterns or emphasizing healthy plant-based food alongside decreased intake or exclusion of animal-based foods. There are still no robust data regarding plant-based diets and the prevention of diabetes without loss in body weight. Hence, prospective studies in plant-based diets with weight control are needed. Nevertheless, adopting plant-based diets appears to induce significant weight loss, which is crucial in an obesity-endemic context. Thus, embracing plant-based diets, along with healthy habits, emerges as a relevant strategy in obesity and T2DM prevention.

The blood pressure control effect of the sodium-restricted dietary approaches to stop hypertension diet: a systematic review.

The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet is highly effective in controlling blood pressure (BP). Although Na restriction is not a primary focus within the DASH diet, it is recommended that it be added to control BP. Therefore, we aimed to systematically review the characteristics and BP-lowering effects of Na-restricted DASH diet interventions. We searched thirteen databases, namely, MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, KoreaMed, KISS, KMbase, RISS, CINAHL, Scopus, ClinicalTrials.gov, Grey Literature Report, OpenGrey and PQDT Global, for articles published through May 2023. The randomised controlled trials assessing the BP-lowering effect of the Na-restricted DASH diet in adults aged 18 years and older were included. The study protocol was registered in the PROSPERO registry (CRD42023409996). The risk of bias in the included studies was also assessed. Nine articles were included in this review. Interventions were categorised into three types: feeding, provision and education, and the study results were compared by intervention type. BP was significantly reduced in two of the three feeding studies, one of the three provisional studies and none of the educational studies. In eight studies, effect sizes varied among both systolic BP (-7·7 to -2·4) and diastolic BP (-8·3 to 0·1). Six studies showed an overall high risk of bias. In conclusion, Na-restricted DASH may have beneficial effects on BP control. Additionally, compared with control interventions, feeding interventions appeared to have a greater BP-lowering effect. Further high-quality studies are needed to improve the quality of the evidence.

Dietary Patterns and New-Onset Diabetes Mellitus in Southwest China: A Prospective Cohort Study in the China Multi-Ethnic Cohort (CMEC).

(1) Background: There is little known about the relationship between Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) pattern and diabetes in cohort studies, and the dietary patterns in the Chongqing natural population are unknown. (2) Methods: 14,176 Chinese adults, aged 30-79 years old, participated in this prospective study, from September 2018 to October 2023. A dietary assessment was conducted using a food frequency questionnaire, and three main dietary patterns were extracted from the principal component analysis. DASH patterns were calculated by standards. (3) Results: During the 4.64 y follow-up, 875 developed diabetes (11.3/1000 person-years). Each posteriori diet pattern is named after its main dietary characteristics (meat pattern, dairy products-eggs pattern, and alcohol-wheat products pattern). The high consumption of DASH pattern diet reduced the risk of diabetes (Q5 vs. Q1 HR: 0.71; 95% CI: 0.40-0.56) while high consumption of alcohol-wheat product pattern diet was associated with a high risk of diabetes (Q5 vs. Q1 HR: 1.32; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.66). The other two dietary patterns were not associated with diabetes. In subgroup analysis, there was an interaction between DASH pattern and sex (P for interaction < 0.006), with a strong association in females. (4) Conclusions: DASH pattern may be associated with a reduced new-onset diabetes risk and Alcohol-wheat products pattern may be positively associated with new-onset diabetes. These findings may provide evidence for making dietary guidelines in southwest China to prevent diabetes.

A Narrative Review of the Association Between Healthy Dietary Patterns and Depression.

The purpose of the present review is the investigation of healthy dietary patterns and diet quality in relation to depression risk. Nutritional psychiatry is to develop scientifically based research that defines the role of nutrition and nutrients in various aspects of mental health. Growing evidence from the field suggests that diet may play an important role in the prevention and/or treatment of depression. In contrast, there is evidence that unhealthy diets may increase the risk of depression. This emerging research suggests that dietary interventions could help prevent depression or be an alternative or adjunctive therapy for depression. The Mediterranean diet (MedDiet), the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, and the vegetarian diet are examined in this review.The electronic databases PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched for relevant studies published during the last five years. We found many results that support that healthy eating patterns (high in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and fish, low in processed foods) are related to a reduction in the risk of depression. The most robust findings are related to MedDiet, where we also found several positive results for the DASH diet. Regarding the vegetarian diet, there are inconsistent reports. Furthermore, a consistent finding refers to a lower Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) as associated with a lower depression risk. It has been observed that people suffering from depression have poorer nutritional quality, with lower fruit and vegetable intake. This observation may strengthen the argument that nutritional interventions should be incorporated as an important "pillar" in the multifactorial treatment of patients. However, more well-designed studies are needed to establish the relationship between dietary patterns and mental health. In particular, interventional, longitudinal studies could be more enlightening.

Polycystic ovary syndrome increases risks of infertility: Role of a well-planned diet and other factors

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal disorder causing menstrual irregularities, insulin resistance, and infertility. Treatment options include medical treatments and lifestyle modifications. The guideline suggests various balanced strategies, including diet, exercise, behavioral interventions, and sleep. This article aimed to review the multiple diets, nutrients, and other factors responsible for PCOS-induced infertility, which is growing nowadays. The primary motive to recover PCOS is to reduce the risk of infertility among women. PCOS treatment involves birth control pills, diabetes medication, and estrogen receptor modulators. Lifestyle changes like resistance training and yoga can improve body composition and reduce fat. Traditional lifestyles, such as alcohol and tobacco, can hinder fertility. Weight loss improves PCOS status regardless of dietary composition. Low glycemic index diets reduce weight gain, improve insulin sensitivity, and reduce risk factors. The DASH diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and low-fat dairy, is recommended for managing PCOS. In conclusion, PCOS should be taken care of for young women with the help of diet, exercise, and medication, if needed, to avoid infertility under the supervision of a dietitian and physician.

Standard and New Echocardio Techniques, Such as Global Longitudinal Strain, to Monitor the Impact of Diets on Cardiovascular Diseases and Heart Function.

"The Seven Countries Study", published in 1984, was the first study to find a correlation between diet and mortality related to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Since then, many investigations have addressed the relationship between type of diet, or specific nutrients, and CVDs. Based on these findings, some traditional dietary models, such as the Mediterranean or Nordic diet, are recommended to prevent CVDs. Meanwhile, new diets have been proposed for optimal nutrition therapy, for example, the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) and the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention Diet for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND). The main outcomes evaluated after implementing these dietary models are as follows: CVD-related death; the development of specific CVDs, such as myocardial infarction and hypertension; or biochemical parameters related to CVDs, i.e., non-HDL cholesterol, C-reactive protein (CPR) and homocysteine. However, the early impact of diet on heart functionality is less evaluated. Recently, the echographic measurement of left ventricle (LV) deformation by global longitudinal strain (GLS) has been introduced as a novel marker of clinical and subclinical cardiac dysfunction. This technology allows a subclinical evaluation of heart functionality since, differently from the traditional evaluation of left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF), it is capable of detecting early myocardial dysfunction. In this review, we analyzed the available studies that correlate dietetic regimens to cardiovascular diseases, focusing on the relevance of LV strain to detect subclinical myocardial alteration related to diet. Evidence is presented that DASH and MIND can have a positive impact on heart functionality and that myocardial strain is useful for early detection of diet-related changes in cardiac function.

Abstract PO1-11-05: Diet quality and cardiovascular disease risk among breast cancer survivors in the Pathways Study

Abstract Background: While studies have shown that breast cancer survivors with healthier diets have a lower risk of non-breast cancer-specific and all-cause mortality after a breast cancer diagnosis, the relationship between diet quality and cardiovascular disease (CVD) among breast cancer survivors is not well characterized. We examined the association between diet quality at the time of breast cancer diagnosis and CVD-related outcomes in the Pathways Study, a prospective cohort of 3,415 women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. Methods: This analysis included four diet quality indices (DQIs) consistent with healthy eating: 1. Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), 2. healthy plant-based dietary index (hPDI), 3. 2015 Healthy Eating Index (HEI), 4. American Cancer Society nutrition guidelines (ACS). Each DQI was calculated from food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) at or around the time of breast cancer diagnosis, between 2005 and 2013, with a higher score representing a more healthful dietary pattern. DQI scores were categorized into quartiles with the most concordant diets in the highest quartile and the least concordant diets in the lowest quartile, for each DQI. CVD outcomes were ascertained through December 31, 2021 and included ischemic heart disease, heart failure, cardiomyopathy, stroke/transient ischemic attack, arrhythmia, cardiac arrest, valvular disease, venous thromboembolic disease and CVD-related death. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated from proportional hazards regression accounting for clinical and demographic factors. Results: FFQs were completed an average 2.2 (range=0.3-7.6) months after a breast cancer diagnosis, and a total 623 (18.2%) incident CVD events and 340 (10.0%) CVD-related deaths were ascertained over 39,263 person-years of follow-up. Participants in the highest quartile of the DASH DQI had substantially reduced risks of heart failure (HR=0.50, 95% CI 0.31-0.81), arrhythmia (HR=0.76, 95% CI 0.62-0.93), cardiac arrest (HR=0.75, 95% CI 0.60-0.93), valvular disease (HR=0.77, 95% CI 0.62-0.96), venous thromboembolic disease (HR=0.74, 95% CI 0.59-0.92), and a 33% reduced risk of CVD-related death (HR=0.67, 95% CI 0.48-0.95) relative to those in the lowest quartile. Tests for trend across quartiles of the DASH DQI were also statistically significant at a p-value &amp;lt; 0.03. The only notable association found in the other three DQIs was between hPDI and lower risk of heart failure (HR=0.61, 95% CI 0.39-0.95) in women in the highest quartile compared to the lowest quartile (Table 1). Summary: These findings suggest that diets concordant with DASH and hPDI dietary patterns, may be beneficial for preventing CVD and CVD-related death after a breast cancer diagnosis. Table 1. Cox proportional hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for quartiles of diet quality indices and CVD events and CVD-related death Citation Format: Isaac Ergas, Janise Roh, Lawrence Kushi, Carlos Iribarren, Mai Nguyen-Huynh, Jamal Rana, Eileen Rillamas-Sun, Cecile Laurant, Valerie Lee, Richard Cheng, Heather Greenlee, Marilyn Kwan. Diet quality and cardiovascular disease risk among breast cancer survivors in the Pathways Study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO1-11-05.

PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN'S APPROACH TOWARDS LIFESTYLE CHANGES IN HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS

Objective: The role of lifestyle and diet changes in hypertension management is very well known. Economic constraints, additional benefits, and few or almost no side effects have made it an attractive option for hypertension control. However, it is still not widely used in primary care. This study was conducted to assess the knowledge and approach of primary care physician (PCP) towards the D.A.S.H (Dietary approaches to stop hypertension) in Tunisia. Design and method: We surveyed 132 PCPs among the 148 PCPs. We used a questionnaire on Google forms, with 16 questions assessing practices regarding the D.A.S.H, its use and source of information about it. Results: The participants had a mean duration of practice of 9.2 years (+/-3.4SD). They all receive hypertensive patients daily with an average of 6.12 (+/-2.7SD). Most of the PCPs (60.7%, n=80) recommend the lifestyle changes. However only 82.5% (n=65) of them based their recommendations on guidelines. The D.A.S.H is used by 60% (n=48), these participants knew the D.A.S.H diet through internet. Weight loss, low salt intake, daily physical activity and stop smoking were recommended by most of the PCPs. For the low salt intake, few (35%, n=28) precised that it includes sauces and cold cuts. Limiting foods that are high in saturated fat, such as fatty meats, full-fat dairy products, and tropical oils such as coconut and sugar-sweetened beverages and sweets was recommended by only 12 PCPs. Most (74%) said that lifestyle changes can alone, if well conducted, help to lower the blood pressure. Ninety percent (90%) said that they are more effective with the medication, and it could help lowering the number and the doses of the drug used. All the PCPS(n=132) said that their informations about the DASH diet and others heart-healthy diets are incomplete which may lead to the failure of the lifestyle changes. Conclusions: PCPs’ knowledge and management of lifestyle in hypertensive patients is poor in Tunisia. Our data point to a need for continually updating about the non-pharmacological treatment of hypertension

Effect of DASH vs. mediterranean diet accompanied by a salt restriction on metabolic syndrome and cardiometabolic risk factors in adults with high normal blood pressure or grade 1 hypertension: secondary analyses of a randomized controlled trial

ObjectiveLifestyle interventions are recommended as the first-line treatment to control metabolic syndrome components and improve cardiometabolic risk factors. However, studies directly comparing the cardiometabolic effects of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) vs. the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) accompanied by salt restriction are currently lacking. Thus, with the present secondary analyses of a randomized trial, we aimed to assess the cardiometabolic effects of a 3-month intensive dietary intervention implementing salt restriction alone or on top of the DASH and MedDiet compared to no/minimal intervention in never drug-treated adults with high normal blood pressure (BP) or grade 1 hypertension. MethodsWe randomly assigned individuals to the control group (CG, n = 60), salt restriction group (SRG, n = 60), DASH diet with salt restriction group (DDG, n = 60), or MedDiet with salt restriction group (MDG, n = 60). ResultsAccording to the intention-to-treat analysis, the DDG and the MDG had lower odds ratio (OR) (95% CI) of metabolic syndrome [0.29 (0.12, 0.72), and 0.15 (0.06, 0.41), respectively] compared to the CG. Moreover, the MDG had lower odds of metabolic syndrome compared to the SRG and lower odds of elevated BP levels than the DDG and the SRG. Moreover, total and LDL-cholesterol, fasting glucose, HbA1c, and systolic/diastolic BP were reduced in all three intervention groups compared to the CG. ConclusionOn a background of salt restriction, the MedDiet was superior in BP reduction, but the DASH and MedDiet reduced the prevalence of metabolic syndrome to the same extent.

Dietary effects on blood pressure control in primary aldosteronism using a cardiorenal model

Primary aldosteronism (PA) is associated with hypertension (HTN), and these patients have significant lowering of blood pressure (BP) and improved hypokalemia when moving to a DASH dietary intervention (≤65 mEq/day Na+ and ≥120 mEq/day K+). However, current guidelines for PA treatment briefly recommend lowering Na+ intake and make no specific mention of supplementing K+ intake or using DASH in PA. Additionally, high levels of aldosterone increase the risk of developing cardiovascular and chronic kidney disease. However, the impact of DASH diet on hyperkalemia risk and the extent of BP reduction in PA patients with renal dysfunction are unknown. Because continuous monitoring of cardiovascular, neural, and hormonal changes during PA and its treatment cannot be achieved experimentally, we used the mathematical model of human physiology, HumMod, to test the responses to a DASH diet during PA. We hypothesized that both low Na+ and high K+ (DASH) have additive benefits on natriuresis and BP control during PA. We added known renal physiological effects of K+ in HumMod using data from David Young’s work in dogs and further validated the model’s response to changes in Na+ intake based off of chronic salt sensitivity experiments in PA patients. Starting from baseline conditions with normal Na+/K+ intake (150 and 40 mmol/day, respectively), we simulated an aldosterone secreting tumor to gradually increase plasma aldosterone to 20 ng/dL over 3 years. Baseline PA was associated with hypertension (149/85 mmHg), very low endogenous renin and aldosterone secretion, hypokalemia (2.6 mmol/L K+), and tumor aldosterone secretion of 360 μg/day. We simulated a chronic change in dietary intake: 1) Low Na+ diet- Na+ intake fixed at 65 mmol/day with normal K+ intake, 2) High K+ diet - 120 mmol/day K+ intake with normal Na+ intake, or 3) DASH diet- Low Na+ intake and high K+ intake. Lowering Na+ intake without or with high K+ intake (DASH) were associated with lower systolic BP over the first 4 weeks and persisted for 2 years despite continued activation of the renin-angiotensin system and increasing tumor aldosterone secretion. Simulating mineralocorticoid blockade (MCB) was associated with reductions in systolic BP (-17 mmHg), decrease in left ventricular mass, and correction of hypokalemia (~4.0 mmol/L), but BP still remained uncontrolled (134/81 mmHg), partly due to the compensatory increase in renin secretion. Adding DASH to MCB therapy completely normalized BP without inducing hyperkalemia (4.8 mmol/L). Simulating chronic kidney disease by reducing nephron number in the model amplified BP sensitivity to changes in both Na+ and K+ but increased plasma K+ near the hyperkalemic range. These current simulations may help better understand the sequence of physiological events in PA and yield new insights into its diagnosis and management in patients with different baseline renal function. The physiological effects of the DASH diet desperately need to be tested in patients with PA with various baseline renal function as our simulations suggest beneficial effects beyond current treatment guidelines. Supported by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (R00 MD014738). This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Humanized Diets Define Optimal Pressure Lowering Response to Dietary Potassium in Mice

High potassium (K) diets are known to lower blood pressure (BP) in rodents and humans but can also raise BP when consumed in extreme. Interestingly, this response also appears to be influenced by dietary sodium (Na) such that when Na intake is high, high K lowers BP, whereas when sodium intake is lower, high K increases BP (Little et al, Hypertension, 2023). We recently reported (Little et al, JCI Insight, 2023) that the K-mediated BP lowering response, driven by the inactivation of the thiazide-sensitive sodium chloride cotransporter (NCC), is offset by an increase in ENaC (epithelial sodium channel) when an extremely high K diet is chronically consumed. Here, we define the optimal dietary K level needed to inactivate NCC without activating ENaC in the high Na setting and show this K level approximates the recommended level for humans by the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) trials. Mice were fed diets containing 6 different K contents, all with high Na (1.7%), so the effects of the control diet (1% K, 1.7% Na) could be compared to traditional extremes (0.1% and 5% K) and others (0.35%, 0.7%, 1.7%) that mimic typical variation in human diets (30-120 mEq/d) when mouse consumption is normalized for caloric intake relative to body mass. Metabolic cage and renal clearance studies were used to assess electrolyte and aldosterone (aldo) excretion as well as NCC- (hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) sensitive) and ENaC- (benzamil sensitive) dependent sodium handling. Blood potassium (PK) was measured using iSTAT. BP was measured hourly for 10 days using DSI telemetry probes in male mice (C57Bl6J). The BP response to the diuretics was also measured. PK levels changed significantly with each diet relative to the control diet from 3.2mM to 4.8mM. Systolic blood pressure (SBP; 12-hour active period average) also changed significantly with the different K diets. Extreme high or low K diets (0.1% and 5%) increased SBP by 7mmHg, 0.35% and 0.7% K diets increased SBP by 6 and 3mmHg, while the 1.7% K diet lowered SBP by 4mmHg relative to control (1% K, 132 mmHg). Thus, the relationship between SBP and PK is ‘U-shaped’. Diuretic studies revealed that HCTZ reduces SBP in the 0.1%, 0.35%, 0.7% K groups but had minimal effect in the 1.7% and 5% K groups. Conversely, inhibiting ENaC activity with benzamil normalized SBP in the 5% K group but had a minimal effect in the 1.7% group and no BP effect in the other groups. The BP-lowering effect of each diuretic correlated with increased natriuresis suggesting dietary K influences blood pressure by affecting distal nephron sodium transport. Lastly, urinary aldo levels increased with increasing dietary K, but compared to the control group, aldo levels were significantly lower in the 0.1%, 0.35%, and 0.7% groups, significantly higher in the 5% group, and not different in the 1.7% group. As previously reported, our results demonstrate that extremes in dietary intake can elevate blood pressure by stimulating distal nephron sodium transport proteins with low K inducing NCC activation and high K stimulating ENaC with elevated aldosterone. An optimal dietary K level (1.7%) that maximally reduces BP in mice was identified, suppressing NCC activity while limiting aldosterone production and ENaC activity. Remarkably, this diet mimics the human DASH diet in K content and further supports its effcacy as a blood pressure-lowering modality. DE (DK054231, DK51496); PW (DK054231, DK093501, DK110375): Leducq Foundation U54 DK137331-01. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Development of Malaysian-MIND diet scores for prediction of mild cognitive impairment among older adults in Malaysia.

Mild Cognitive impairment (MCI) is a pre-demented state in the elderly populace. The Mediterranean & Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet has shown promise in reducing the risk of MCI and Alzheimer's disease in older people. Notably, the existing MIND diet is not adapted to the specific needs of older adults in Malaysia, considering distinct food cultures and availability. Consequently, this study aimed to develop the Malaysian version of the MIND diet (MY-MINDD) scores and investigate their association with MCI in the older adult populace of Malaysia. A comprehensive pooled data analysis was conducted on combined data from 810 participants sourced from the longitudinal Long-Term Research Grant Scheme-Towards Useful Aging (LRGS-TUA) and Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS) studies. The MY-MINDD scores were developed by incorporating existing MIND diet food groups, their corresponding scoring mechanisms, and consideration of common Malaysian foods which are proven to be beneficial and detrimental to cognitive function. To substantiate the MY-MINDD scoring system, its association with MCI was evaluated using a series of validated neuropsychological test batteries. MY-MINDD consists of seven food groups promote brain health and four food groups exert negative cognitive outcomes. The study participants had an average age of 67.9 ± 4.7 years. The collective MY-MINDD score for all participants was 6.4 ± 0.1 (out of a maximum 11 points), revealing a lower score in individuals with MCI at 6.0 ± 1.7 compared to those without MCI at 6.6 ± 1.6 (p < 0.001). According to hierarchical multivariate binary logistic regression analysis, being in the highest tertile of MY-MINDD score was linked to reduced odds of MCI (odds ratio (OR) = 0.43, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.26-0.72, p < 0.001) in the fully adjusted model in comparison to the lowest tertile. The development of the MY-MINDD scores for Malaysian older population revealed that a stronger adherence to this diet is linked to a reduced risk of MCI. Further substantiation of the MY-MINDD scores using more objective measures, such as neuroimaging approaches and other neuropsychological batteries, is necessary.

THE EFFECT OF HIGH VERSUS LOW ADHERENCE TO THE DASH DIET ON BLOOD PRESSURE: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS

Objective: The objective of our study was to systematically review the current literature and perform a meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of the level of adherence to the DASH diet on blood pressure. Design and method: The identification of relevant studies, data extraction and critical appraisal of the included studies were performed independently by two reviewers. A random-effects model was employed to synthesize the available evidence using the standardized mean difference (SMD) as the appropriate effect size. Results: A total of 37 and 29 articles were included in the qualitative and quantitative analysis, respectively. The pooled effect for systolic blood pressure was SMD = -0.18 (95%CI: -0.32 to -0.04; I2 = 94%; PI: -0.93 to 0.57) and for diastolic blood pressure it was SMD = -0.13 (95%CI: -0.19 to -0.06; I2 = 94%; PI: -0.42 to 0.17). Conclusions: Our findings showed that greater adherence to the DASH diet has a beneficial effect on blood pressure compared to the lowest adherence. Increased compliance with DASH diet recommendations might also have a positive effect on cardiometabolic factors and overall health status. Future studies should aim to standardize the tools of adherence to the DASH diet and utilize rigorous study designs to establish a clearer understanding of the potential benefits of the level of adherence to the DASH diet in blood pressure management.