DASH diet may prevent strokes in women

AORN Journal, June, 2008

The Dietary Approaches to stop Hypertension (DASH) diet was found to tower the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke in middle-aged women, according to a study in the April 14, 2008, Archives of Internal Medicine. The prospective cohort study included 88,517 female nurses, ages 34 to 59 years, with no history of cardiovascular disease or diabetes in 1980. After seven dietary assessments during 24 years of follow up, researchers recorded the following:

* 2,129 cases of incident nonfatal myocardial infarction,

* 976 CHD deaths, and

* 3,105 cases of stroke.

After adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors (eg, age, smoking), researchers found that DASH scores were associated with a significantly reduced risk of stroke in women. The DASH score, based on consumption of certain foods and nutrients (eg, whole grains, tow-fat dairy, sodium), was also significant[y associated with tower plasma Levels of C-reactive protein tie, an indicator of inflammation and stroke risk).

Fung TT, Chiuve SE, McCullough ML, Rexrode KM, Logroscino G, Hu FB. Adherence to a DASH-style diet and risk of coronary heart disease and stroke in women. Arch Intern Med. 2008;168(7):713-720.