--- title: "Pilot trial of healthy eating in uncontrolled asthma. | Sutter Health" description: "The DASH behavioral intervention improved diet quality with promising clinical benefits for better asthma control and functional status among adults with uncontrolled asthma. A full-scale efficacy trial is warranted." url: "https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/pilot-trial-healthy-eating-uncontrolled-asthma-1055312944" --- 1. [Home](https://www.sutterhealth.org/) / 2. [Research](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research) / 3. [Research publications](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications) / 4. Pilot trial of healthy eating in uncontrolled asthma. # Pilot randomised trial of a healthy eating behavioural intervention in uncontrolled asthma. Ma J, Strub P, Lv N, Xiao L, Camargo CA Jr, Buist AS, Lavori PW, Wilson SR, Nadeau KC, & Rosas LG. _Eur Respir J. pii: ERJ-00591-2015. doi: 10.1183/13993003.00591-2015. \[Epub ahead of print\]_ 2015-10-22 ## Abstract Rigorous research on the benefit of healthy eating patterns for asthma control is lacking. We randomized 90 adults with objectively confirmed uncontrolled asthma and a low-quality diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) scores <6 out of 9) to a 6-month DASH behavioral intervention (n=46) or usual-care control (n=44). Intention-to-treat analyses used repeated-measures mixed models. Participants were middle-aged, 67% female and multiethnic. Compared with controls, intervention participants improved on DASH scores (mean change (95% CI) 0.6 (0, 1.1) versus -0.3 (-0.8, 0.2); difference 0.8 (0.2, 1.5)) and the primary outcome, Asthma Control Questionnaire scores (-0.2 (-0.5, 0) versus 0 (-0.3, 0.3); difference -0.2 (-0.5, 0.1)) at 6 months. The mean group differences in changes in Mini Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire overall and subdomain scores consistently favored the intervention over the control group: overall 0.4 (95% CI 0, 0.8), symptoms 0.5 (0, 0.9), environment 0.4 (-0.1, 1.0), emotions 0.4 (-0.2, 0.9) and activities 0.3 (0, 0.7). These differences were modest, but potentially clinical significant. The DASH behavioral intervention improved diet quality with promising clinical benefits for better asthma control and functional status among adults with uncontrolled asthma. A full-scale efficacy trial is warranted. [PubMed abstract](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26493792) ## Research topics - [Asthma](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?query=%22%5C%22Asthma%5C%22%22) - [Disease Management](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?query=%22%5C%22Disease+Management%5C%22%22) - [Food and Nutrition](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?query=%22%5C%22Food+and+Nutrition%5C%22%22) - [Lung Diseases](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?query=%22%5C%22Lung+Diseases%5C%22%22) ## Related publications [View all publications](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?verticalKey=research_publication) - Publication ### [Use of dietary supplements among US adults with asthma.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/dietary-supplements-adults-asthma-1055312968) Ma J, Xiao L. Nutr Dietary Suppl. 2011(3):9—18. 2011 Jan 12 - Publication ### [DASH for asthma: a pilot study of the DASH diet in not-well-controlled adult asthma.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/pilot-study-of-dash-diet-in-uncontrolled-asthma-1055312757) Ma J, Strub P, Lavori PW, Buist AS, Camargo CA Jr, Nadeau KC, Wilson SR, Xiao L. Contemp Clin Trials. 35(2):55-67. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2013.04.008. Epub 2013 May 3. 2013 Jul 01 - Publication ### [Acceptability and feasibility of the 'DASH for Asthma' intervention in a randomized controlled trial pilot study.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/feasibility-dash-for-asthma-intervention-study-1055312344) Blonstein AC, Lv N, Camargo CA, Wilson SR, Buist AS, Rosas LG, Strub P, Ma J. Public Health Nutr. 2015 Dec 10:1-11. \[Epub ahead of print\] 2015 Dec 10 - Publication ### [American Thoracic Society and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Implementation Research Workshop Report.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/ats-nhlbi-implementation-research-wkshop-report-1055312327) Bender BG, Krishnan JA, Chambers DA, Cloutier MM, Riekert KA, Rand CS, Schatz M, Thomson CC, Wilson SR, Apter A, Carson SS, George M, Gerald JK, Gerald L, Goss CH, Okelo SO, Mularski RA, Nguyen HQ, Patel MR, Szefler SJ, Weiss CH, Wilson KC, Freemer M. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2015 Dec;12(12):S213-21. doi: 10.1513/AnnalsATS.201506-367OT. 2015 Dec 12 - Publication ### [Precision lifestyle medicine: a new frontier in the science of behavior change and population health.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/precision-lifestyle-medicine-1055312346) Ma J, Rosas LG, Lv N. Am J Prev Med. pii: S0749-3797(15)00638-8. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2015.09.035. \[Epub ahead of print\] 2015 Dec 01 [View all publications](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?verticalKey=research_publication) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalOrganization","name":"Sutter Health","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org","logo":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/static/images/sutter-health-logo.svg","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"2200 River Plaza Drive","addressLocality":"Sacramento","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95833","addressCountry":"US"},"areaServed":{"@type":"AdministrativeArea","name":"California"},"sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/SutterHealth","https://www.instagram.com/sutterhealth/","https://x.com/SutterHealth","https://www.youtube.com/sutterhealth","https://www.linkedin.com/company/sutter-health","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter_Health"]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/pilot-trial-healthy-eating-uncontrolled-asthma-1055312944#breadcrumblist","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Research","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Research publications","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Pilot trial of healthy eating in uncontrolled asthma."}]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalScholarlyArticle","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/pilot-trial-healthy-eating-uncontrolled-asthma-1055312944#medicalscholarlyarticle","name":"Pilot randomised trial of a healthy eating behavioural intervention in uncontrolled asthma.","headline":"Pilot trial of healthy eating in uncontrolled asthma.","abstract":"Rigorous research on the benefit of healthy eating patterns for asthma control is lacking. We randomized 90 adults with objectively confirmed uncontrolled asthma and a low-quality diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) scores \u003c6 out of 9) to a 6-month DASH behavioral intervention (n=46) or usual-care control (n=44). Intention-to-treat analyses used repeated-measures mixed models. Participants were middle-aged, 67% female and multiethnic. Compared with controls, intervention participants improved on DASH scores (mean change (95% CI) 0.6 (0, 1.1) versus -0.3 (-0.8, 0.2); difference 0.8 (0.2, 1.5)) and the primary outcome, Asthma Control Questionnaire scores (-0.2 (-0.5, 0) versus 0 (-0.3, 0.3); difference -0.2 (-0.5, 0.1)) at 6 months. The mean group differences in changes in Mini Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire overall and subdomain scores consistently favored the intervention over the control group: overall 0.4 (95% CI 0, 0.8), symptoms 0.5 (0, 0.9), environment 0.4 (-0.1, 1.0), emotions 0.4 (-0.2, 0.9) and activities 0.3 (0, 0.7). These differences were modest, but potentially clinical significant. The DASH behavioral intervention improved diet quality with promising clinical benefits for better asthma control and functional status among adults with uncontrolled asthma. A full-scale efficacy trial is warranted.","description":"The DASH behavioral intervention improved diet quality with promising clinical benefits for better asthma control and functional status among adults with uncontrolled asthma. 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