Key result
Dietary and lifestyle interventions significantly reduced systolic blood pressure by a weighted mean difference of 7.33 mmHg compared to control in sub-Saharan African populations.
Why the study?
A comprehensive review of data evaluating dietary and lifestyle interventions for blood pressure management in sub-Saharan African countries was lacking.
Do dietary and lifestyle interventions reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure in populations within sub-Saharan Africa?
Meta-Analysis (n=1,412)
Do dietary and lifestyle interventions reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure in populations within sub-Saharan Africa?
Mean Difference: -7.33 (95% CI -9.9–-4.76)
p-value: p=<0.001
Dietary and lifestyle interventions, particularly low-salt diets and high-nitrate supplementation, effectively lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure in sub-Saharan African populations.
Supports incorporating dietary and lifestyle interventions into hypertension care in sub-Saharan Africa; extends evidence to this underrepresented population.
OBJECTIVES: Current literature is lacking a comprehensive review of data on dietary interventions in blood pressure (BP) management in sub-Saharan African countries. We assessed the association of dietary and other lifestyle interventions with BP-lowering effects in populations within sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS: We performed a systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis to determine the impact of dietary and lifestyle interventions on SBP and DBP in sub-Saharan Africa. We searched the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases. We included intervention studies that were randomized and nonrandomized conducted in Africans residing in sub-Saharan Africa investigating diet and other lifestyle, physical activity, weight loss, tobacco, and alcohol cessation modifications. We determined the effect of diet and other lifestyle interventions on SBP and DBP. We expressed effect size as weighted mean difference and 95% confidence interval (CI). MAIN RESULTS: : We identified six studies with a total of 1412 individuals, 38% males, mean age of 52.8 years (SD = 11.5). The weighted mean difference of dietary and other lifestyle interventions on SBP and DBP was -7.33 mmHg, (95% CI: -9.90 to -4.76, P < 0.001) and -2.98 mmHg, (95% CI: -4.28 to -1.69, P < 0.001), respectively. In the metaregression analyses, the duration of the interventions did not have any effect on changes in SBP and DBP. PRINCIPAL CONCLUSION: : Dietary modifications showed a beneficial overall improvement in SBP and DBP in Africans. However, aside from low-salt interventions, studies on dietary potassium, healthy dietary patterns, and lifestyle modifications have not been investigated extensively in Africans and are in critical need. In addition, researchers will need to consider the settings (rural, urban, or semiurban) and the predominant existing dietary habits while designing studies on dietary interventions in sub-Saharan Africa. PROSPERO REGISTRATION: CRD42020207923.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Ilori et al. (2023) conducted a meta-analysis in Hypertension (n=1,412). Dietary and lifestyle interventions vs. Usual care or control was evaluated on Change in systolic blood pressure (SBP) (MD -7.33, 95% CI -9.90 to -4.76, p=<0.001). Dietary and lifestyle interventions significantly reduced systolic blood pressure by a weighted mean difference of 7.33 mmHg compared to control in sub-Saharan African populations.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: