Determine the effect of the life style modifications and dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) eating plan in patients with prehypertension

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of life style modifications and DASH eating plan in patients with prehypertension. The study was conducted on 32 patients (24 females, 8 males) between the ages of 20-64 who were applied to 'Atatürk State Hospital, The Department of Internal Medicine' and diagnosed with prehypertension(defined as systolic blood pressure (SBP) 120 to 139 or diastolic BP (DBP) 80 to 89 mm Hg, based on over a week measurement.). Patients with kidney disease, diagnosed with cancer, who takes vitamin/mineral supplementation, exercise regularly (more than 150 minutes in a week) breastfeeding mothers and pregnants were not included in this study. For 8 weeks participants were randomly assigned to 3 groups; 1)advice only, 2) DASH eating pattern alone and 3) DASH eating pattern combined with life style modifications. Blood pressure measurements were repeated in the 4th and the 8th weeks. The serum values of the following biochemical parameters were determined: fasting blood glucose, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, hematological parameters, potassium, sodium, calcium, BUN(blood urea nitrogen), creatinine, alanine aminotransferase, aspartat aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase. A questionnaire was applied to patients including demographic, life style and disease characteristics of the patients. Information about the nutritional status of the patients was gained through the 24-hour dietary food record questionnaire. Anthropometric measurements and body compositions of the patients were carried out and their physical activity levels were determined. The average age of the patients was found to be 39.4±9.40 years. The 40.6% of the patients had cardiovascular disease. The 84.3% of the parents had hypertension. The % 28.2 of the patients found to be smokers and %62.5 of the patients were consuming alcohol. The median value of the Body Mass Indexes (BMI) of the male and female patients were 29.05(26.2-32.05) kg/m2, and the median value of the body fat percentages of the patients were %35.35(29.9-40.35) at the beginning of this research. At the beginning of the research, it' s found that the median value of men's sistolic and diastolic blood pressure was 130(125-135)mmHg and 85(82.5-85)mmHg; and the median value of women's sistolic and diastolic blood pressure was 130(127.5-135)mmHg and 80(80-85)mmHg, respectively. The DASH diet significantly lowered sistolic and diastolic blood pressure in women (p<0.05). DASH eating pattern combined with life style modifications lowered both sistolic and diastolic blood pressure in women and just diastolic blood pressure in men(p<0.05). There was a positive and statistically significant correlation between sodium intake and sistolic blood pressure measurements (r=0.767, p=0.010). There was a negative and statistically significant correlation between potassium(r=-0.780,p=0.008), magnesium(r=-0.833,p=0.003), iron(r=-0.833,p=0.003) ve copper (r=-0.793, p=0.006) intake and sistolic blood pressure. There was a positive and statistically significant correlation between waist circumference and sistolic blood pressure (r=0.699, p=0.025). In conclusion for patients with prehypertension the DASH diet can lower blood pressure alone or combined with life style modifications.