Simple Lifestyle Changes May Reduce High Blood Pressure

JAMA Report States Simple Lifestyle Changes, Like DASH Diet, Are as Effective As Drug Therapy to Reduce High Blood Pressure

ATLANTA-According to a report in the May 21, 2003 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), adoption of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan has effects similar to single drug therapy in reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke by lowering blood pressure.

The DASH eating plan is rich in lowfat dairy foods, fruits and vegetables. In a report out earlier this week, the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure lowered the threshold of normal blood pressure readings by establishing a new category – prehypertensive – for individuals with a systolic blood pressure (BP) of 120 to 139 mm Hg or a diastolic BP of 80 to 89 mm Hg. The report recommends that the 45 million Americans considered prehypertensive – a major risk factor for heart attacks and strokes - should adopt lifestyle changes to lower their blood pressure.

Recommended lifestyle modifications include losing weight if overweight, eating more lowfat dairy foods, fruits and vegetables as part of the DASH eating plan, reducing dietary sodium, exercising more and limiting alcohol consumption. The report also noted that implementing lifestyle changes can improve the efficacy of anti-hypertensive drugs.

“We calculate that if the American population as a whole adopted the DASH diet, it would reduce deaths from cardiovascular disease by about 15 percent, and from stroke by about 27 percent,” said David W. Harsha, Ph.D., of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center at Louisiana State University and co-author of the DASH-Sodium study.

The DASH eating plan calls for two to three servings of lowfat dairy foods, such as milk, cheese or yogurt, and eight to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. The DASH eating plan is high in calcium, potassium and magnesium, all of which are associated with a reduced risk of high blood pressure and stroke.

“The DASH eating plan, with its emphasis on lowfat dairy foods, fruits and vegetables is a simple approach that can have a positive effect on blood pressure,” said Kelly Yeagley, registered dietitian, Southeast Dairy Association. “It’s easy to get 3-a-day of dairy with the variety of great tasting, lowfat and convenient milk, cheese and yogurt options available, as well as eight to 10 servings of produce with pre-cut selections of fruits and vegetables.”

Additionally, results from the PREMIER study, published in the April 23 JAMA issue, reinforce the benefits of lifestyle modifications, including DASH, for reducing blood pressure. In the study, patients with above-optimal blood pressure who received counseling, lost weight, reduced sodium intake, increased physical activity, limited alcohol intake and followed the DASH diet, reduced their blood pressure more than patients who did not implement the DASH diet.

Three servings of lowfat milk, cheese or yogurt can also help fight obesity – another leading cause of high blood pressure – according to emerging science. Yet government statistics reveal that most Americans consume only one to two servings of dairy foods daily, rather than the recommended three servings.