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Investigation of adherence to DASH diet components and reduction of heart failure risk in adults: A case-control
Abbas Abbasi1, Davood Shafie2, Reza Heidari Moghaddam3
1Department of Clinical Nutrition, School of Nutrition and Food Science, Nutrition and Food Security Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
Insights
Adhering to the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, particularly its fruit, vegetable, and legume components, is linked to a lower risk of heart failure (HF). This study highlights the protective role of specific DASH diet elements in preventing HF.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Health
- Nutritional Science
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Heart failure (HF) is a critical condition stemming from the heart's reduced pumping ability.
- Investigating dietary impacts on HF risk is crucial for public health.
- The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet is a recognized eating pattern for cardiovascular health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between adherence to the DASH diet and the risk of developing heart failure.
- To identify specific DASH diet components that may influence heart failure risk in an adult Iranian population.
Main Methods:
- A hospital-based case-control study involving 340 adults (30-70 years) recently diagnosed with HF.
- Participants were categorized into case (HF) and control groups.
- Dietary intake was assessed using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), and logistic regression analyzed the DASH score's relationship with HF.
Main Results:
- Adherence to the DASH diet showed a significant association with a reduced risk of heart failure after adjusting for confounding factors.
- Consumption of fruits (OR: 0.62), vegetables (OR: 0.53), and legumes/nuts (OR: 0.75) were significantly linked to a lower HF risk.
- No significant association was found between other DASH diet components and heart failure risk.
Conclusions:
- The study suggests an inverse relationship between DASH diet adherence and heart failure likelihood.
- Specific components of the DASH diet, including fruits, vegetables, and legumes/nuts, appear effective in reducing HF risk.
- Further research through cohort studies and randomized clinical trials is recommended for more comprehensive findings.
Background:
Heart failure (HF), or congestive Heart failure (CHF), is a heart disorder with a number of symptoms caused by the heart's inability to pump blood. Our aim in conducting this study is to investigate the adherence to dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) diet components and the risk of HF in Iranian adult women and men.
Methods:
In this hospital-based, case-control study, we included 340 participants (194 men and 146 women) aged 30-70 years who were recently (less than 6 months) diagnosed with HF. In this study, there were 169 participants in the control group and 171 participants in the case group. A semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) with 148 items was used to assess food intake. Multiple logistic regression statistical tests were used to evaluate the relationship between DASH score and HF.
Results:
After adjusting for confounding variables, the data showed that adherence to the DASH diet was associated with a reduced risk of HF. Our data show that a significant relationship was found between the consumption of fruits (OR: 0.62; 95% CI: 0.53-0.68), vegetables (OR: 0.53; 95% CI: 0.28-0.81), legumes and nuts (OR: 0.75; 95% CI: 0.65-0.68), and heart failure, but no significant relationship was found with the other components of the DASH diet and heart failure.
Conclusion:
Findings suggest that there is an inverse relationship between adherence to the DASH-style diet and the likelihood of HF, and adherence to some components of the DASH diet was also effective in reducing the risk of HF. To obtain more complete results, it is necessary to conduct cohort studies and randomized clinical trials.
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