Voeding en gezondheid - Hypertensie

Hypertension, defined as a blood pressure ≥ 140/90 mmHg upon repeated measurement or the use of antihypertensive medication, is present in 14% of Dutch adults. - A healthy diet plays an important role in both the prevention and treatment of hypertension. - Under controlled conditions, very good results have been obtained with the 'Dietary approaches to stop hypertension' (DASH) combination diet, which has recently been developed in the United States. The DASH combination diet contains large amounts of fruit, vegetables, fish and nuts, low-fat dairy products and reduced levels of total and saturated fat. - This dietary pattern yielded blood pressure reductions of 11.4/5.5 mmhg in mildly hypertensive patients. - Intervention studies have shown a favourable effect of salt reduction on blood pressure in hypertensive patients, even in the case of mild hypertension. Simultaneous increases in potassium and magnesium intake could have an additional beneficial effect. - The use of a low-sodium, high-potassium mineral salt could make a useful contribution to the prevention and treatment of hypertension. - In case of hypertension, it is further recommended to reduce the intake of liquorice to less than 50 g per day. - These dietary measures, combined with weight loss and physical exercise, may prevent drug treatment in patients with mild hypertension.