Dietary Carbohydrate Intake and New-Onset Hypertension: A Nationwide Cohort Study in China

The association between carbohydrate intake and the risk of hypertension remains uncertain. We aimed to evaluate the prospective relations of the amount and type of carbohydrate intake with new-onset hypertension. A total of 12 177 adults who were free of hypertension at baseline from the China Health and Nutrition Survey were included. Dietary intake was measured by 3 consecutive 24-hour dietary recalls combined with a household food inventory. The study outcome was new-onset hypertension, defined as systolic blood pressure >= 140 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure >= 90 mm Hg or diagnosed by physician or under antihypertensive treatment during the follow-up. A total of 4269 subjects developed hypertension during 95 157 person-years of follow-up. Overall, there was a U-shaped association between the percentage energy consumed from total carbohydrate (mean, 56.7%; SD, 10.7) and new-onset hypertension (P for nonlinearity <0.001), with the lowest risk observed at 50% to 55% carbohydrate intake. The increased risks were mainly found in those with lower intake of high-quality carbohydrate (mean, 6.4%; SD, 5.6) or higher intake of low-quality carbohydrate (mean, 47.0%; SD, 13.0). Moreover, there was an inverse association between the plant-based low-carbohydrate scores for low-quality carbohydrate and new-onset hypertension. However, there was a U-shaped association between the animal-based low-carbohydrate scores for low-quality carbohydrate and new-onset hypertension (P for nonlinearity <0.001). In summary, both high and low percentages of carbohydrate diets were associated with increased risk of new-onset hypertension, with minimal risk at 50% to 55% carbohydrate intake. Our findings support the intake of high-quality carbohydrate, and the substitution of plant-based products for low-quality carbohydrate for prevention of hypertension.

Automated summary

The study found a U-shaped association between the percentage of energy consumed from total carbohydrate and new-onset hypertension, with the lowest risk observed at 50% to 55% carbohydrate intake. Low intake of high-quality carbohydrate and high intake of low-quality carbohydrate were associated with increased risks of hypertension.