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Effects on blood pressure of reduced dietary sodium and the DASH diet (DASH-Sodium)
Randomised crossover factorial trial (n=412): lowering sodium and adopting the DASH diet each lowered blood pressure; DASH with low sodium reduced mean systolic blood pressure by 7.1 mmHg vs a high-sodium control diet in non-hypertensive participants and by 11.5 mmHg among hypertensive participants.
Design
- n = 412; crossover through high / intermediate / low sodium for 30 days each, nested within control vs DASH diets
Sodium steps (pooled narrative)
- High → intermediate sodium: −2.1 mmHg SBP on control diet; −1.3 mmHg on DASH (P = 0.03)
- Intermediate → low sodium: −4.6 mmHg more on control; −1.7 mmHg more on DASH (P < 0.01)
DASH × sodium interaction highlight
Compared with control + high sodium, DASH + low sodium lowered mean SBP by 7.1 mmHg in non-hypertensive participants and 11.5 mmHg in hypertensive participants (abstract summary).
Evidence hygiene
Short controlled feeding periods—translate cautiously to free-living sodium adherence.
Publication
Sacks FM, Svetkey LP, Vollmer WM, et al.; DASH-Sodium Collaborative Research Group. N Engl J Med. 2001 Jan 4;344(1):3-10. PMID 11136953.
Outcomes
- High→intermediate sodium: −2.1 mmHg SBP (control diet, P<0.001) and −1.3 mmHg (DASH, P=0.03); intermediate→low: additional −4.6 mmHg (control) and −1.7 mmHg (DASH, P<0.01).
- DASH + low sodium vs control + high sodium: mean SBP lower by 7.1 mmHg without hypertension and 11.5 mmHg with hypertension (per primary NEJM abstract).