Effects of the DASH-JUMP dietary intervention in Japanese participants with high-normal blood pressure and stage 1 hypertension: an open-label single-arm trial

The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet is recommended by the American Heart Association to lower blood pressure (BP); however, its effects in Japanese participants have not been rigorously studied. We assessed the effects of the DASH-Japan Ube Modified diet Program (DASH-JUMP), a modified DASH diet, on cardiometabolic and inflammatory biomarkers in Japanese participants with untreated high-normal BP or stage 1 hypertension. Fifty-eight participants (30 men and 28 women; mean age 54.1±8.1 years) with untreated high-normal BP or stage 1 hypertension followed the DASH-JUMP (salt 8.0 g per day) for 2 months. After the intervention period, they resumed their usual diets for 4 months. The DASH-JUMP significantly decreased the participants’ body mass index values (24.6±3.5 kg m −2 at baseline→23.2±3.3 kg m −2 at 2 months, P =0.000), BP (153±14/91±11 mm Hg at baseline→130±16/80±9 mm Hg at 2 months, P =0.000 and 139±16/85±10 mm Hg at 6 months, P =0.000), fasting serum glucose level (100±26 mg dl − 1 →94±15 mg dl − 1 at 2 months, P =0.003) and fasting insulin level (6.9±5.9 μIU ml −1 →4.4±2.7 μIU ml −1 at 2 months, P =0.000). The mean compliance of the participants for the DASH-JUMP diet was 88.5%. The DASH-JUMP diet reduced cardiovascular risk factors and may be an effective nutritional strategy for preventing cardiovascular events.