OVERVIEW
The purpose of this page is to take the landmark DASH study titled “A Clinical Trial Of The Effects Of Dietary Patterns On Blood Pressure” (Appel et al. 1997, The New England Journal Of Medicine) and distill down its major takeaways for clinical practice.
WHAT IS THE POINT OF THIS STUDY?
At the time of the study national guidelines recommended reduced salt intake, weight control, and reduced alcohol consumption as nutritional means of controlling blog pressure. This study aimed to further characterize what could be done from a nutritional standpoint to help address hypertension.
WHAT ARE THE MAJOR TAKEAWAYS?
Overall there were a few things that this study highlighted in its results/conclusion.
- Fruit/vegetable and low fat diet reduces blood pressure when compared to the normal American diet (which is low in fruit/veggies and high in fat).
- There results were in the context of: stable weight, a sodium intake of approximately 3 g per day, and consumption of two or fewer alcoholic drinks per day.
- Overall the results of this study should be combined with the health practices recommended from before.
Page Updated: 08.14.2016