The role of diets, food, and nutrients in the prevention and control of hypertension and prehypertension

Hypertension is the leading risk factor for death worldwide, even surpassing tobacco use, high blood glucose, high blood cholesterol, and obesity. Globally, the estimated prevalence of hypertension is nearly 1 billion persons with an annual mortality of almost 7.5 million deaths. In the United States, hypertension affects an estimated 65 million Americans, and is the leading risk-factor cause of death in women and only second to tobacco use as a contributory cause of death in men. Multiple sources of data from prospective observational, cohort, and randomized controlled clinical trials show that hypertension and its complications are highly preventable when the raised blood pressure is prevented, or treated and controlled. To promote positive behavior change and create a broader impact on public health, it has become necessary to leverage multilevel stakeholders such as all health care providers, researchers, policy makers, schools, the food industry, and the general public to drive policy changes and future innovation from research and development endeavors, and to emphasize the importance of diet-related lifestyle modifications to effectively prevent and control hypertension and prehypertension.