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Phase 2Recruiting

FIM+DASH: Food is Medicine Intervention to Promote Healthy Eating and Blood Pressure Control

Sponsored by University of Illinois at Chicago

About this study

The goal of this clinical trial is to treat both hypertension and obesity in adults using a food is medicine framework. Participants will be randomized 1:1 to FIM+DASH or usual-care control. The 24-week trial includes a 12-week FIM+DASH intervention followed by a 12-week maintenance period and leverages existing partnerships with community-based organizations for home food delivery and culinary skill-skill building. The main questions it aims to answer are: (1) What is the effect of FIM+DASH vs. usual care control on blood pressure? (2) What is the effect of FIM+DASH vs. usual care control on DASH diet adherence (diet quality), body weight, and waist circumference? (3) How to identify factors associated with the sustainability and scalability of FIM+DASH in real-world settings?

FIM+DASH is adapted from the FIM+DASH pilot and informed by prior NIH-funded dietary interventions integrating clinic-community partnerships for culinary skill building and home food delivery. The intervention is designed to strengthen clinic-to-community linkages that support adoption and maintenance of a DASH eating pattern and hypertension (HTN) self-management for weight and BP control. Core components include in-person group and on-demand culinary skill-building, group and on-demand didactic content for DASH adoption and adherence and HTN self-management, brief one-on-one check-ins with a nutrition professional, and weekly DASH-friendly home food delivery.

Where this study is enrolling (4)

Who can participate

Inclusion criteria

  • ✓Adults aged ≥18 years; diagnosis of hypertension in Electronic health record or most recent clinic blood pressure meeting inclusion thresholds (systolic blood pressure ≥130 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥80 mmHg); BMI ≥30 kg/m²; able and willing to complete survey instruments and assessment procedures; able to speak/read English; access to a smartphone with text-messaging capability.

Exclusion criteria

  • ✕inability to speak/read English; cognitive impairment that precludes informed consent or participation; severe food allergies or medically necessary dietary restrictions that would preclude adoption of a DASH eating pattern; inability to cook at home; current treatment for cancer; self-reported history of a recent major cardiovascular event within the past 12 months (myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular accident, cardiac surgery, or hypertensive emergency); known advanced liver or renal disease; severe mental illness that would preclude participation; pregnancy. Individuals with lactose intolerance will not be excluded because low-lactose alternatives are available within the intervention.

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Trial data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov.