The Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (Dash) Diet’s Impact on Blood Pressure

Abstract

The management of hypertension (HTN) can be challenging. At the project site, there was no standardized diet plan for hypertensive patients to control their blood pressure, so an evidence-based solution was sought. The purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental quality improvement project was to determine if or to what degree the implementation of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's (NHLBI) Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet would impact blood pressure (BP) levels when compared to current practice among adult patients with HTN in a primary care clinic in urban Georgia over four weeks. Dorothea Orem's self-care theory and Kurt Lewin’s change model were the scientific underpinnings of the project. Data were extrapolated from the facility’s electronic health record. Blood pressures were measured among 28 participants and compared at baseline and four weeks post-implementation. A paired t-test showed a statistically and clinically significant improvement in mean systolic and diastolic BP measurements with systolic BP from baseline (M = 152.71, SD = 17.47) to post-implementation (M = 129.71, SD = 10.45), t(27) = 9.48, p = 0.00, and diastolic BP from baseline (M = 95.57, SD = 9.59) to post-implementation (M = 80.32, SD = 7.79), t(27) = 7.80, p = 0.00. Based on the results, implementing the NHLBI DASH diet may improve BP levels for patients with HTN. Recommendations include continuing the project and disseminating the results.