Concordance Between DASH Diet and Coronary Artery Calcification: Results From the Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America (MASALA) Prospective Cohort Study

Authors

Bridget Murphy Hussain, Public Health Program, Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies, Fairfield University, Fairfield, Connecticut.
Andrea L. Deierlein, Public Health Nutrition Concentration, School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, New York.
Sameera A. Talegawkar, Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia.
Alka M. Kanaya, Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
Joyce A. O'Connor, Public Health Nutrition Concentration, School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, New York.
Meghana D. Gadgil, Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
Yong Lin, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey.
Niyati Parekh, Public Health Nutrition Concentration, School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, New York.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

2-1-2025

Journal

AJPM focus

Volume

4

Issue

1

DOI

10.1016/j.focus.2024.100288

Keywords

Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension; South Asian; atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease; coronary artery calcium; dietary intake

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: South Asian adults are at high risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, for which coronary artery calcification is an early predictor. Adherence to the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet is a modifiable risk factor that may mitigate the progression of coronary artery calcification and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. METHODS: Using data from the Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America cohort, the authors calculated a Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension dietary score (categorized as low, moderate, and high) to examine the associations of Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet adherence with coronary artery calcification after a 5-year follow up. RESULTS: The authors found that participants in the high Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension category were 41% less likely to have coronary artery calcification score >100 (age-adjusted incidence rate ratio=0.59; 95% CI=0.36, 0.95) than those in the low category; this association was attenuated in multivariable models. Differences were observed by sex. Men in the high Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension category were 51% less likely to have coronary artery calcification score >100 (adjusted incidence rate ratio=0.49; 95% CI=0.26, 0.95) and experienced 0.46-fold coronary artery calcification change (fold change=0.46; 95% CI=0.18, 0.90) in multivariable models. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate a relationship between Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet and early predictors of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk among South Asians living in the U.S., particularly men.

APA Citation

Hussain, Bridget Murphy; Deierlein, Andrea L.; Talegawkar, Sameera A.; Kanaya, Alka M.; O'Connor, Joyce A.; Gadgil, Meghana D.; Lin, Yong; and Parekh, Niyati, "Concordance Between DASH Diet and Coronary Artery Calcification: Results From the Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America (MASALA) Prospective Cohort Study" (2025). GW Authored Works. Paper 6696.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/6696

Department

Exercise and Nutrition Sciences