Innovative Research Sheds New light on the Role of Protein Consumption in Hypertension Risk
By Wes Gibson
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, affects nearly half of the U.S. population and contributes to roughly 670,000 deaths each year (1-2). While previous research has shown that diets rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy can help lower blood pressure (3), less is known about how specific macronutrients - such as protein – affect hypertension risk.
A new study led by recent doctoral graduate Ji Yun Tark, PhD, under the mentorship of Marcia Otto, PhD, FAHA, associate professor of epidemiology and faculty member at the Center for Health Equity, examined the role of protein consumption and diversity in hypertension risk. Using data from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) study, researchers assessed how different sources of protein—animal and plant—contribute to the development of high blood pressure.
To quantify protein intake, the team estimated participants' usual consumption of proteins, from animal and plant sources, using data from MESA’s robust database. They assessed two distinct aspects of protein diversity: 1) the number of different types of protein-rich foods consumed each week and 2) the diversity of protein-rich food characteristics relevant to heart health (dissimilarity). The study also accounted for factors such as age, sex, race, and energy intake to evaluate the associations of protein consumption on hypertension risk.
Their findings revealed that higher intake of plant-based protein – particularly from minimally processed sources - was linked to a lower risk of developing hypertension. Participants who consumed a greater variety of plant protein sources also had a reduced risk. However, the study did not find strong link between total protein or animal protein intake and hypertension risk. Notably, participants who obtained plant protein from a wider range of different food sources, especially highly processed foods, had a higher risk of developing of hypertension, suggesting that source of plant protein plays an important role.
When asked about the study’s clinical implications, Tark states, “This is the first study to comprehensively evaluate the association between protein intake and hypertension risk, examining both quantity and diversity of protein intake by different food sources in a multi-ethnic U.S. population. Our findings support the benefits of consuming higher amounts and greater variety of plant proteins from minimally processed sources to help prevent hypertension. Our results also suggest that minimally processed animal protein foods can be consumed without increasing risk of developing hypertension.”
Future research may explore how specific food components present in plant protein sources – including certain amino acids – may contribute to blood pressure regulation. Additional studies could also investigate the effects of food processing on the health benefits of plant protein and examine whether dietary patterns rich in diverse plant protein sources can help prevent or manage hypertension in midlife.
The study was featured in American Heart Association.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hypertension cascade: hypertension prevalence, treatment and control estimates among U.S. adults aged 18years and older applying the criteria from the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association’s 2017 Hypertension Guideline—NHANES 2
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. About Multiple Cause of Death, 1999–2020. CDC WONDER Online Database; 2022. Accessed December, 2023. https://wonder. cdc.gov
- Saneei P, Salehi-Abargouei A, Esmaillzadeh A, Azadbakht L. Influence of dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) diet on blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis on randomized con[1]trolled trials. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2014;24:1253–1261. doi: 10.1016/j.numecd.2014.06.008
*MESA is a prospective cohort study, sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, investigating the development and progression of cardiovascular disease in an ethnically diverse population.
Ji Yun Tark’s Doctoral work was supported in part by the American Heart Association (PI: Otto). Co-investigators on this study include Ruosha Li, PhD, Bing Yu, PhD, Alexis Wood, PhD, and Nikhil Padhye, PhD.