Key result
High DASH diet adherence shows no link to improved blood pressure control versus low adherence.
Why the study?
Dietary approaches show promise for blood pressure control, but their real-world effectiveness across diverse US populations is not fully understood.
Does adherence to the DASH dietary pattern improve blood pressure control in hypertensive U.S. adults?
Cross-Sectional (n=2,004)
Does adherence to the DASH dietary pattern improve blood pressure control in hypertensive U.S. adults?
Odds Ratio: 0.92 (95% CI 0.62–1.37)
Absolute Event Rate: 43% vs 45%
p-value: p=0.669
In a real-world cross-sectional analysis of U.S. adults, higher adherence to the DASH diet was not significantly associated with improved blood pressure control.
Null cross-sectional association warrants no practice change; leaves open whether DASH improves BP control in trials.
BACKGROUND: Hypertension continues to be one of the most pressing health challenges worldwide, contributing significantly to cardiovascular disease and premature death. Dietary approaches aimed at improving blood pressure control have shown promise, yet their effectiveness in real-world settings across diverse populations in the United States is not fully understood. OBJECTIVE: To examine, in a cross-sectional analysis, the association between adherence to the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) dietary pattern and blood pressure control status among hypertensive U.S. adults using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2017-2020 data. METHODS: This cross-sectional study analyzed 2,004 unweighted hypertensive adults representing 53,882,767 weighted U.S. adults. DASH adherence was classified into low, moderate, and high categories using the Food Patterns Equivalents Database (FPED). Survey-weighted logistic regression was applied to assess associations between DASH adherence and controlled blood pressure, adjusting for sociodemographic, behavioral, and clinical factors. RESULTS: No significant association was observed between DASH adherence and blood pressure control (p>0.05). Predicted probabilities of control were 0.45, 0.42, and 0.43 for low, moderate, and high adherence, respectively. CONCLUSION: Higher DASH adherence did not significantly improve blood pressure control among U.S. adults with hypertension, highlighting the need for enhanced dietary adherence strategies in real-world settings.
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Akinboboye et al. (2026) conducted a cross-sectional in Hypertension (n=2,004). Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) dietary pattern adherence vs. Low DASH adherence was evaluated on Blood pressure control (mean systolic pressure <130 mmHg and mean diastolic pressure <80 mmHg) (OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.62-1.37, p=0.669). High adherence to the DASH dietary pattern was not significantly associated with improved blood pressure control compared to low adherence among U.S. adults with hypertension (OR 0.92).