Concordance with Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet score and health outcomes among South Asians in the Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America (MASALA) study

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT South Asians are the fastest growing ethnic population group in the United States (US). Despite their increasing population presence, South Asians remain understudied and are often mis-aggregated with other ethnic subgroups. Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is highly prevalent among South Asian Americans, yet there remains limited data on specific risk factors in this population that contribute to the longitudinal course of ASCVD and that could be modified in the prevention, early intervention, and treatment of ASCVD. Diet is an established prevention modality for ASCVD risk, with the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) dietary pattern being the recommended therapeutic diet by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). The NHLBI has identified eight objectives within their Research Priorities, including the investigation of factors that account for differences in health among populations (Objective 3) and optimization of therapeutic strategies to prevent, treat, and cure diseases (Objective 5). The primary goal of the proposed research is to address these objectives by analyzing data necessary to understand how concordance with the DASH dietary pattern influences ASCVD risk among South Asian Americans. This goal will be achieved by leveraging data from the Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America (R01HL093009), an ongoing longitudinal cohort study of South Asian adults living in the US to: examine how DASH diet concordance is related to established ASCVD behavioral risk factors (smoking, physical inactivity, alcohol intake) (Aim 1); determine associations between DASH diet concordance and indicators of central adiposity, based on both computed tomography imaging and anthropometric measurements (Aim 2); and determine associations between DASH diet concordance and ASCVD clinical risk factors (blood pressure and the novel coronary artery calcium score) (Aim 3). The proposed research will take place at New York University (NYU), which provides access to NYU Libraries, with extensive computerized catalogs that provide digital access to most open- stack offerings; Data Services, which offer access, training, and support for specialty software packages for statistical analysis; and a robust research infrastructure that supports proposal development and fosters research engagement among NYU faculty and students. Training goals throughout the fellowship award include (1) developing and refining skills in data harmonization, management, and secondary data analysis; (2) operationalizing culturally relevant DASH dietary pattern scores adapted from food frequency questionnaires, with monthly training from the Co-Sponsor; (3) understanding the proximal and distal risk factors of ASCVD among South Asians; and (4) advancing research communication skills that specifically enhance the recognition and inclusion of underrepresented subpopulations in health research, contributing to diversity in science. Mentorship and supervision with Sponsor, Co-Sponsors, expert consultants and collaborator will occur on a regular basis throughout the fellowship award to augment all aspects of training.