A detailed analysis of the DASH diet and reduced sodium intake showed that these measures lowered blood pressure in a variety of subgroups: people with and without hypertension, with or without a family history of hypertension, older and younger adults, men and women, African-Americans and other races, obese and non-obese, and those with higher or lower physical activity levels.

The largest BP differences occurred for those on the DASH diet with a daily sodium intake of 1500 mg. Among those with hypertension, this combination reduced BP by 12 mmHg systolic and 6 mmHg diastolic.

While the combination of the DASH diet and reduced dietary sodium produced the biggest reductions, each intervention lowered blood pressure for all groups when used alone. Restricting salt intake had the greatest effect on those with high blood pressure, African-Americans, women, and those over the age of 45. In those with hypertension, it reduced blood pressure by 8.3 mmHg systolic and 4.4 mmHg diastolic after the 14-week test.

Related information: Lifestyle changes: DASH | Manage weight | Eating well

Sources:

• NIH. NHLBI study finds DASH diet and reduced sodium lowers blood pressure for all. News Release, Dec. 17, 2001.
• Vollmer WM, Sacks FM, Ard J, et al. Effects of diet and sodium intake on blood pressure: subgroup analysis of the DASH-sodium trial. Annals of Internal Medicine, Dec. 18, 2001;135:1019-1028. (Abs.)