Abstract / Summary
Our study endeavors to explore the relationship between the alternative Mediterranean diet score (aMED), a tool for assessing adherence to the Mediterranean diet, and the prevalence of hypertension in the US population. An analysis was performed using the dataset from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005–2018. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to evaluate the relationship between aMED and the prevalence of hypertension. Subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis were conducted to assess the robustness of the relationship between aMED and the prevalence of hypertension. 23,794 eligible participants were included. We found a significant association between higher aMED and the prevalence of hypertension (OR 0.71 [95% CI: 0.61, 0.82]). The results of the sensitivity analysis further strengthen our conclusions. Furthermore, subgroup analysis found that the association between aMED and hypertension was stronger in females and in individuals who were non-diabetic and non-drinkers. In the general US population, higher aMED was linked to a lower prevalence of hypertension. To ascertain the beneficial effects of Mediterranean diet for hypertension, further prospective studies are needed.