Effect of Heart-Healthy Dietary Patterns on Blood Pressure: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Abstract OBJECTIVE To systematically evaluate the antihypertensive effect of dietary patterns of blood pressure management. METHODS The researchers searched the following databases: PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus, China Knowledge Network, China Biomedical Literature Service, Wanfang Database, and Wipu.com by computer. Search for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the effects of Mediterranean diet, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), and Chinese Heart-Healthy (CHH) diet on blood pressure in English and Chinese. RCTs, which were published from the time of the study until 02/2023. The investigators assessed and screened the literature before conducting a systematic evaluation and meta-analysis using Stata 15 software. RESULTS This study included 27 publications containing 7,409 study subjects, including 3,677 in the trial group and 3,732 in the control group. Dietary models for blood pressure management were effective in reducing systolic blood pressure [weighted mean difference (WMD) = −3.94, 95% confidence interval (CI): (−5.10, −2.77), P < 0.001] and diastolic blood pressure [WMD = −2.32, 95% CI: (−3.01, −1.63), P < 0.001]. CONCLUSIONS Dietary models for blood pressure management have a clear positive impact on blood pressure management in patients, and more high-quality studies with standardized design and long intervention period are needed in the future to provide strong evidence for healthy diet-based blood pressure management.