Association between the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and risk of incident heart failure and heart failure-related death: a UK Biobank cohort study.
LP, L., P, D.P., S, M., GCH, G., L, T., L, F., & S, Z. (2026). Association between the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and risk of incident heart failure and heart failure-related death: a UK Biobank cohort study.. Open heart. https://doi.org/10.1136/openhrt-2026-004101
LP L, P DP, S M, GCH G, L T, L F, et al. Association between the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and risk of incident heart failure and heart failure-related death: a UK Biobank cohort study.. Open heart. 2026; doi: 10.1136/openhrt-2026-004101
LP L, P DP, S M, et al. Association between the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and risk of incident heart failure and heart failure-related death: a UK Biobank cohort study.[J]. Open heart. 2026. DOI: 10.1136/openhrt-2026-004101.
@article{lp2026,
author = {Liao LP and De Paz P and Marschner S and Gan GCH and Thomas L and Fontana L and Zaman S},
title = {Association between the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and risk of incident heart failure and heart failure-related death: a UK Biobank cohort study.},
journal = {Open heart},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.1136/openhrt-2026-004101},
note = {PMID: 42575672},
}
TY - JOUR AU - Liao LP AU - De Paz P AU - Marschner S AU - Gan GCH AU - Thomas L AU - Fontana L AU - Zaman S TI - Association between the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and risk of incident heart failure and heart failure-related death: a UK Biobank cohort study. T2 - Open heart PY - 2026 DO - 10.1136/openhrt-2026-004101 AN - PMID:42575672 ER -
BACKGROUND: Evidence supporting dietary interventions for heart failure (HF) prevention remains limited. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet has been proposed as a cardioprotective dietary pattern, but population-level evidence linking DASH adherence to HF risk is sparse. AIM: To examine the association between adherence to the DASH diet-characterised by high intake of vegetables, fruits and whole grains, and lower consumption of sodium and red and processed meat-with combined risk of HF incidence and death due to HF, as well as its risk factors, namely hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: A prospective cohort analysis was conducted using UK Biobank participants free of HF at baseline (2006-2010), with follow-up to 2024. Dietary intake was assessed using ≥2 instances of 24-hour recall. DASH scores were derived and categorised into quintiles. Fine-Gray competing risks Cox models estimated adjusted HRs (aHRs) and 95% CIs for a primary composite outcome of incident HF or HF-related death, adjusting for sociodemographic factors, deprivation, obesity, smoking, hypertension and T2DM and accounting for all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes were incident hypertension and T2DM. RESULTS: Among 124 777 participants (mean age 56.1±7.8 years; 56% female; 7% with diabetes; 36% with hypertension), followed for a mean of 12 years, 2931 HF events and 441 HF-related deaths occurred. Compared with the lowest DASH adherence quintile, the highest quintile had a lower risk of HF after adjustment for sociodemographic factors (aHR 0.79, 95% CI 0.70 to 0.89, p<0.001) and comorbidities (aHR 0.89, 95% CI 0.79 to 1.00, p<0.05). Greater DASH adherence was associated with reduced risk of hypertension (aHR 0.91, 95% CI 0.86 to 0.96, p<0.001) and T2DM (aHR 0.82, 95% CI 0.75 to 0.90, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Greater adherence to the DASH diet was associated with lower combined risk of HF and death due to HF, as well as hypertension and T2DM, supporting the role of a DASH diet in HF prevention.