TABLE 2.
Participant baseline characteristics and responses by diet1
| DASH diet (n = 189) |
Control diet (n = 183) |
|||
| Variable | Baseline | End of diet | Baseline | End of diet |
| SBP (mm Hg) | 134.9 ± 0.6 | 127.7 ± 0.5 | 134.7 ± 0.6 | 132.0 ± 0.5 |
| DBP (mm Hg) | 85.4 ± 0.3 | 81.3 ± 0.4 | 85.7 ± 0.3 | 83.2 ± 0.4 |
| PRA (ng · mLminus1 · hminus1) | 0.62 ± 0.04 | 0.68 ± 0.03 | 0.51 ± 0.04 | 0.54 ± 0.03 |
| Serum aldosterone (ng/dL) | 9.8 ± 0.4 | 10.7 ± 0.4 | 8.7 ± 0.4 | 8.0 ± 0.4 |
| Urinary aldosterone (μg/24 h) | 8.1 ± 0.5 | 10.1 ± 0.4 | 8.0 ± 0.5 | 7.4 ± 0.5 |
| Urinary sodium (mmol/24 h) | 163.0 ± 5.4 | 146.3 ± 3.9 | 156.8 ± 5.4 | 144.1 ± 3.92 |
| Urinary potassium (mmol/24 h) | 57.7 ± 1.6 | 76.5 ± 1.5 | 53.4 ± 1.64 | 41.1 ± 1.5 |
All values are means ± SEMs. DASH, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension; SBP, systolic blood pressure; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; PRA, plasma renin activity. Comparisons between DASH and control groups were made by using the general linear model. All baseline variables were adjusted for age, sex, and race, and additional adjustment for baseline values was made for end-of-diet measurements. When DASH and control groups were compared at the end of diet, DASH participants had significantly lower SBP and DBP and higher PRA and concentrations of serum aldosterone, 24-h urinary aldosterone, and 24-h urinary potassium (P < 0.01). There were no differences in baseline characteristics of participants between DASH and control groups except that 24-h urinary potassium concentrations were higher in the DASH group than in the control group (P = 0.048).
Participants reached a steady state sodium balance, and there were no differences in end-of-diet 24-h urinary sodium concentrations between DASH and control groups.