Milk drinking may protect against hypertension

Increased consumption of milk helps lower blood pressure levels and reduce the risk of developing hypertension, according to a study.

The study used data from the Health Examinees study to evaluate the association between milk intake and the management and risk of hypertension in South Korean adults. Hypertension was defined based on the guidelines of the Korean Society of Hypertension.

Researchers grouped the participants into three, according to changes between baseline and follow-up blood pressure data. They measured milk consumption using food frequency questionnaires and compared it across the three study groups.

Regression analysis revealed that compared with nonconsumption, increased milk consumption in both men and women was associated with a higher likelihood of trends of blood pressure improvement (men: odds ratio [OR], 1.249, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.043–1.496; p_trend=0.2271; women: OR, 1.147, 95 percent CI, 1.014–1.297; p_trend=0.0293).

Higher milk intake was also associated with lower odds of trends of worsening blood pressure (men: OR, 0.861, 95 percent CI, 0.756–0.980; p_trend<0.0001; women: OR, 0.866, 95 percent CI, 0.794–0.943; p_trend=0.0010).

Finally, participants who consumed milk appeared to have a significantly lower risk of hypertension compared with nonconsumers (men: hazard ratio [HR], 0.900, 95 percent CI, 0.811–0.999; p_trend=0.0076; women: HR, 0.879, 95 percent CI, 0.814–0.949; p_trend=0.0002).

The beneficial effect of milk consumption on blood pressure was more pronounced among individuals aged <60 years.