Chinese Healthy Eating Index (CHEI) and risk of hypertension: A prospective cohort study in China.

The Chinese Healthy Eating Index (CHEI) is a valuable tool for assessing dietary quality. However, the relationship between CHEI and the risk of hypertension remains unclear. Therefore, a total of 1342 adults without hypertension at baseline and provided at least two survey data from 1997 to 2018 were included. Dietary information was collected by three consecutive 24-h recalls combined with household food inventory, and long-term diet quality was evaluated by the CHEI. Hypertension was defined as DBP ≥ 90 mmHg, SBP ≥ 140 mmHg, or using antihypertensive medication. Cox proportional hazard models were applied to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of CHEI and new-onset hypertension. A total of 557 new hypertensive events were observed during 12851.5 person-years of follow-up. Compared with individuals in the first quartile of CHEI score, the HR of hypertension was 0.49 (95% CI: 0.38-0.63) in the fourth quartile. Restricted cubic spline analysis displayed an L-shaped non-linear association between CHEI score and hypertension risk. Increased intake of whole grains, fruits, dairy, soybeans, fish/seafood, and eggs, and decreased intake of red meat and sodium, were associated with lower risk of hypertension, with HRs (95% CIs) of whole grains (0.86, 0.78-0.95), fruits (0.70, 0.60-0.81), dairy (0.85, 0.75-0.96), soybeans (0.83, 0.75-0.92), fish/seafood (0.87, 0.79-0.95), eggs (0.87, 0.79-0.96), red meat (0.83, 0.74-0.93), and sodium (0.77, 0.69-0.85), respectively. In conclusion, higher dietary quality assessed by the CHEI was associated with a lower risk of hypertension, indicating that adhering to a healthy diet in accordance with DGC might be beneficial for preventing hypertension.