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News Alert Archives
New JAMA Report Recognizes Simple Lifestyle Changes are as Effective as Single Drug Therapy in Reducing Blood Pressure
DASH diet with lowfat dairy, fruits and vegetables is a key step in preventing and treating high blood pressure
Rosemont, Ill., May 16, 2003 – A new report in the May 21, 2003, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) acknowledges that adoption of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan, which is rich in lowfat dairy foods, fruits and vegetables, has effects similar to single drug therapy in reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke by lowering blood pressure.
The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure lowers the threshold of normal blood pressure readings by establishing a new category – prehypertensive – for individuals with a systolic BP of 120 to 139 mm Hg or a diastolic BP of 80 to 89 mm Hg. The report recommends prehypertensives, who are at risk for developing high blood pressure – a major risk factor for heart attacks and strokes, should adopt lifestyle changes to lower their blood pressure. For the 50 million Americans with hypertension, healthy lifestyles are a critical and indispensable part of their treatment.
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 2 to 3 servings of lowfat dairy foods, such as milk, cheese or yogurt, and 8 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 Stephanie Smith, registered dietitian, National Dairy Council. “It’s easy to get three servings of dairy a day with the variety of great tasting, convenient milk, cheese and yogurt options available – most in lowfat varieties. Pre-cut selections of fruits and vegetables also make hitting 8 to 10 servings of produce easier than ever.”
Additionally, results from the PREMIER study, published in JAMA this April, reinforce the benefits of lifestyle modifications, including DASH, for reducing blood pressure. The PREMIER study was a randomized clinical trial of 810 adults with above-optimal blood pressure (120-159/80-95 mm Hg). In the study, patients 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 that did not implement the DASH diet.
Emerging science also shows consuming three servings of lowfat milk, cheese or yogurt can help fight obesity – another leading cause of high blood pressure. According to government statistics, however, most Americans consume only one to two servings of dairy foods daily, rather than the recommended three servings.
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