Effectiveness of the DASH diet versus alternative dietary interventions for hypertension management: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Juan José Valenzuela-Fuenzalida, Martin Trujillo-Riveros, Javiera Schwmber-Vega et al.
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In 30 seconds
This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the effectiveness of the DASH diet compared to alternative dietary interventions for hypertension management in adults. The analysis included 22 randomized controlled trials, revealing that the DASH diet did not significantly reduce systolic or diastolic blood pressure compared to other diets. However, it showed benefits in reducing urinary sodium excretion, LDL cholesterol, and glycated hemoglobin.
Key findings
- The DASH diet did not significantly reduce systolic blood pressure (MD = 1.30; 95% CI: -1.54 to 4.14).
- It reduced urinary sodium excretion by an average of -32.89 mg (95% CI: -62.76 to -3.01).
- LDL cholesterol levels decreased by -8.59 mg (95% CI: -14.64 to -2.54) with the DASH diet.
- Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels were reduced by -0.49% (95% CI: -0.52 to -0.46).
Why it matters
Understanding the comparative effectiveness of dietary interventions is crucial for managing hypertension and improving cardiometabolic health. The DASH diet's benefits in specific parameters may inform dietary recommendations, despite its lack of superiority in blood pressure reduction.
What to keep in mind
The certainty of evidence was low to moderate, and substantial heterogeneity was observed across studies.