Low-Fat Dairy Associated With Lower Blood Pressure

NAVARRA, Spain--A lower risk of hypertension was associated with low-fat, but not whole-fat, dairy consumption according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (82, 5:972-79, 2005).

To assess whether total, low-fat and whole-fat dairy consumption was associated with the risk of hypertension, University of Navarra, Spain, researchers conducted a prospective study involving 5,880 adults over age 20, and free of hypertension and cardiovascular disease at baseline. Participants received follow-up questionnaires for a median of 27 months; dairy consumption was assessed with a previously validated semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire. Researchers identified 180 new cases of hypertension in participants. The hazard ratio of hypertension between extreme quintiles of low-fat dairy product consumption was low after adjustment for the main known risk factors for hypertension and several dietary factors. No significant association between whole-fat dairy products or total calcium intake and incident hypertension was seen.

Researchers concluded low-fat dairy consumption, but not whole-fat dairy consumption, was associated with a lower risk of incident hypertension.

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