Not everyone likes it...but has a lot to offer!

As one of the most commonly spoken/advised diet in the clinics...lets have a peek into it.
Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension(DASH) - Initiated by the NIH, studies were done on specific dietary patterns on the influence of Hypertension. The first study was published in NEJM 1995 ..done on 459 pts with BP <160 systolic ,& diastolic between 80-95. Three type of diets were studied- a control diet (typical american diet), control diet with fruits & vegetables(F/V), and DASH diet. Hypertensives showed a significant 11 & 5 mm Hg drop in their sys & dias BP resp,while on DASH diet. Improvements were noticed as early as in 2 weeks. All 3dietary patterns were taking 3g /day of Sodium.


The next study,DASH-sodium study was done on DASH  Vs the Control diet,each with three levels of Sodium intake(3gm/day, 2.4gm/day, 1.5gm/day of Na) .About 400 pts with BP between 120 - 160 systolic & 80-95 diastolic with 50% blacks were included. The DASH diet, as compared with the control diet,resulted in a significantly lower systolic blood pressure at every sodium level. The combination of DASH +low sodium showed a greater reduction than either agents alone.
So....nowadays you can see ads about DASH diet in many places. This has been taken as a serious issue by the US government recently...given the spreading epidemic of Obesity which is most often associated with Hypertension. 
What does DASH diet consist of - lots of fruits & vegetables,low-fat dairy products, whole grains, poultry, fish, and nuts, while reducing intake of fats, red meat, sweets, and sugar-containing beverages. 

Total fat 27% of calories ,Sodium 2,300 mg (1.5gm is even better), Saturated fat 6% of calories ,Protein 18% of calories,  Carbohydrate 55% of calories, Cholesterol 150 mg,Potassium 4,700 mg, Magnesium 500 mg,  Fiber 30 g.
.Also see this......u can print and give this to your patient for a sample menu.


Latest on DASH trials - A study of Framingham CHD risk score among participants from the DASH trial published in Circulation Aug 2010, showed that..... Compared with control  and F/V diet, the DASH diet reduced estimated 10yr CHD risk by 18% & 11% respectively.There was a significant improvement in LDL veles with DASH, but not with glucose levels. DASH has also shown a 37% reduction in incidence of heart failure in women (Arch of Int Med 2009) 48 - 83 yrs age without a h/o diabetes or heart failure. Only 20% of women had hypertension. What this shows..is that the diet can be of benefit even in people without hypertension, diabetes or CAD.


A common question patients have asked is...If the diet reduces weight? Well...it is not designed to make you loose weight. Added with exercise..then it might(thats another topic !!)