Olive Oil Consumption and Reduced Incidence of Hypertension: The SUN Study

Hypertension (high blood pressure) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Hypertensive individuals have a higher risk of developing coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke and kidney disease. In addition to its harmful effect on cardiovascular disease and mortality, hypertension is highly prevalent. In Western Europe, more than 40% of the adult population can be considered hypertensive. Both factors make hypertension a major public health problem. Different studies have shown that, in addition to genetic factors, both dietary and non-dietary factors can influence the risk of developing hypertension. Thus, excessive weight, lack of physical activity, excessive consumption of alcohol and sodium, and a low intake of potassium are factors that have been consistently found to increase the risk of hypertension. Similarly, interventions aimed to tackle these risk factors have been shown to be effective in the prevention and treatment of hypertension. Despite our considerable knowledge on the association between diet and hypertension, some unanswered questions remain. Most studies evaluating the association between diet and risk of hypertension have been conducted in the United States and northern Europe, regions with specific dietary patterns. The role of foods less represented in these populations in the prevention of hypertension, such as olive oil, is less clear. © 2010