The aim of this study was to assess the effect of the level of adherence to the DASH diet on hypertension risk by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis. A systematic literature search was performed. Two independent investigators performed the study selection, data abstraction, and assessment of the included studies. The meta-analysis was performed separately with the adjusted hazard (HR) or incident rate ratios (IRR) and the odds ratios (OR) of the highest compared to the lowest DASH diet adherence scores using a random effects model. A total of 12 studies were included in the qualitative and quantitative synthesis. When cohort studies reporting HR were pooled together, high adherence to the DASH diet was associated with a lower risk of hypertension (HR: 0.81, 95% CI 0.73–0.90, I² = 69%, PI 0.61–1.08) compared to the low adherence. When cross-sectional studies reporting OR were combined, high adherence to the DASH diet was also related to a lower risk of hypertension (OR: 0.80, 95% CI 0.70–0.91, I² = 81%, PI 0.46–1.39). The findings suggest that high adherence to the DASH diet has a positive effect on reducing hypertension risk compared to low adherence. These data strengthen and are in line with all hypertension guidelines, indicating that lifestyle changes should start early even in populations with normal blood pressure.

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is a growing epidemic affecting pregnant women and their offspring. This study aimed to identify the relationship between adherence to a Mediterranean diet (MD) before conception and the risk of GDM in a contemporary Greek pregnant cohort. A prospective cohort of pregnant women was recruited at the routine first trimester visit. Nutritional intake was evaluated using a population specific validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Pre-pregnancy adherence to MD was derived using two different scoring systems, the Mediterranean diet index score (MDS), and a modified version. Adjusted odds ratios (aOR) were computed using multiple logistic regression models for each score derived. Of 743 participating women, 112 (15.1%) developed GDM. The MDS index showed that scoring 5–9 points (high adherence) was associated with a lower GDM incidence (aOR: 0.57 95% CI (0.32, 0.90), p = 0.02), while the modified MDS index showed no significant association for any level of adherence. Pre-pregnancy consumption of “meat and derivatives” and “fatty meat and processed meat” was associated with a higher risk of GDM, with both scoring systems (p = 0.008, p = 0.004, respectively). A higher adherence to a MD pre-pregnancy, especially with less meat consumption, may have a protective effect on the occurrence of GDM.

Introduction: the objective of our study was to systematically review the current literature and perform a meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of the level of adherence to the DASH diet on blood pressure. Methods: The identification of relevant studies, data extraction and critical appraisal of the included studies were performed independently by two reviewers. A random-effects model was employed to synthesize the available evidence using the standardized mean difference (SMD) as the appropriate effect size. Results: A total of 37 and 29 articles were included in the qualitative and quantitative analysis, respectively. The pooled effect for systolic blood pressure was SMD = −0.18 (95%CI: −0.32 to −0.04; I² = 94%; PI: −0.93 to 0.57) and for diastolic blood pressure it was SMD = −0.13 (95%CI: −0.19 to −0.06; I² = 94%; PI: −0.42 to 0.17). Conclusions: Our findings showed that greater adherence to the DASH diet has a beneficial effect on blood pressure compared to the lowest adherence. Increased compliance with DASH diet recommendations might also have a positive effect on cardiometabolic factors and overall health status. Future studies should aim to standardize the tools of adherence to the DASH diet and utilize rigorous study designs to establish a clearer understanding of the potential benefits of the level of adherence to the DASH diet in blood pressure management.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the potential impact of pre-pregnancy and early pregnancy maternal nutrition on the incidence of small-for-gestational-age neonates (SGA) in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted between 2020 and 2022 at the 3rd Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece). Pregnant women from routine care were surveyed about their dietary habits during two distinct periods: six months prior to pregnancy (period A) and from the onset of pregnancy until the oral glucose tolerance test at 24–28 gestational weeks (period B). The intake of various micronutrients and macronutrients was quantified from the questionnaire responses. Logistic regression models, adjusted for potential confounders including age, pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), smoking status, physical activity and parity, were used to evaluate the association between nutrient intake and small-for-gestational-age neonate incidence. Results: In total, 850 women were screened and of these, 90 (11%) were diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus and were included in the study. There were significant associations between the intake of specific nutrients and the occurrence of small-for-gestational-age neonates; higher fat intake compared to non-small for gestationa age during period B (aOR: 1.1, p = 0.005) was associated with an increased risk for small-for-gestational-age neonates, while lower intake of carbohydrates (g) (aOR: 0.95, p = 0.005), fiber intake (aOR: 0.79, p = 0.045), magnesium (aOR: 0.96, p = 0.019), and copper (aOR:0.01, p = 0.018) intake during period B were significantly associated with a decreased risk for small-for-gestational-age neonates. Conclusions: The findings of this study highlight the potential role of maternal nutrition in modulating the risk of small for gestational age neonatesamong women with gestational diabetes mellitus. The results advocate for further research on the assessment and modification of both pre-pregnancy and early pregnancy nutrition for women, especially those at higher risk of gestational diabetes mellitus, to reduce the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus.