Dairy intake and changes in blood pressure over 9 years: the ARIC study

Dairy product intake could contribute to preventing hypertension, but information linking intake of these foods with changes in blood pressure over long periods of time, particularly in non-whites, is scarce. We analyzed the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study, a prospective cohort in the United States, to assess whether different types of dairy products were associated with changes in blood pressure over time. The analysis included 6912 white and 1296 African-American nonhypertensive men and women, aged 45-64 at baseline. After 9 years of follow-up, systolic blood pressure of whites consuming three or more daily servings of low-fat milk increased 2.7 mm Hg less than in those consuming less than one serving per week (P for trend=0.01). Among African Americans, dairy products intake was not associated with changes in blood pressure over time. In conclusion, higher low-fat milk intake was associated with lower increases in blood pressure in whites but not in African Americans.