PROSPECTIVE-STUDY OF NUTRITIONAL FACTORS, BLOOD-PRESSURE, AND HYPERTENSION AMONG US WOMEN

We examined prospectively the relation of nutritional factors with hyp ertension and blood pressure levels among 41 541 predominantly white U S female nurses, aged 35 to 63 pears, who completed a detailed semiqua ntitative food frequency questionnaire in 1984 and were without diagno sed hypertension, cancer, or cardiovascular disease. During 4 years of follow-up, from 1984 to 1988, 2526 women reported a diagnosis of hype rtension. Age, relative weight, and alcohol consumption were the stron gest predictors for the development of hypertension. Dietary calcium, magnesium, potassium, and fiber were not significantly associated with risk of hypertension, after adjusting for age, body mass index, alcoh ol, and energy intake. Among women who did not report hypertension dur ing the follow-up period, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and fiber wer e each significantly inversely associated with self-reported systolic and diastolic pressures, after adjusting for age, body mass index, alc ohol consumption, and energy intake. When the four nutrients were adde d simultaneously to the regression model, only fiber and magnesium int akes retained significant inverse associations with systolic and diast olic pressures. In analyses of food groups, intakes of fruit and veget ables were inversely associated with systolic and diastolic pressures, and intakes of cereals and meat were directly associated with systoli c pressure. These results support hypotheses that age, body weight, an d alcohol consumption are strong determinants of risk of hypertension in middle-aged women. They are compatible with the possibilities that magnesium and fiber as well as a diet richer in fruits and vegetables may reduce blood pressure levels.