Consistency With the DASH Diet and Incidence of Heart Failure

Abstract

Although dietary patterns and food choices have been associated with risk factors for heart failure (HF), little is known about whether diet may help prevent or delay HF. A recent American Heart Association scientific statement stresses the importance of preventing HF with medical treatment and lifestyle interventions that target HF risk factors including the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet.¹The DASH diet may contribute to prevention of HF in some cases because it effectively reduced blood pressure and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in clinical trials.^2-4This diet features high intake of fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, and whole grains, resulting in high potassium, magnesium, calcium, and fiber consumption, moderately high protein consumption, and low total and saturated fat consumption.⁵ The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has made public recommendations on food and nutrient intake for the prevention and treatment of hypertension based on the DASH diet.⁶ However, trials of the diet have not been of sufficient duration to determine the overall effect on cardiovascular events.