Effect of Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet on blood pressure indices and urinary metabolites in children with overweight and obesity: an 8-week triple-blind randomized controlled trial

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet on blood pressure (BP) indices and urinary metabolites in overweight and obese children over an 8-week period. Methods: In this triple-blind randomized controlled trial, 60 children (8-12 years) were assigned to a DASH or control group for 8-week. Urinary sodium (UNa), potassium (UK), creatinine, UNa-UK ratio, systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), mid-BP (MBP), mean proportional arterial pressure (MPAP), and pulse pressure were measured before and after the intervention. Twenty-four-hour UNa excretion and salt intake were estimated using the INTERSALT equation. Outcomes were analyzed using analysis of variance on an intention-to-treat basis. Results: -value = 0.001). Conclusions: The DASH diet improved BP indices and urinary metabolites in overweight and obese children, suggesting its potential as a non-pharmacological intervention for hypertension management in pediatric populations. Trial Registration: Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials Identifier: IRCT20240623062229N1.