A secondary analysis of the GoFresh and GoFreshRx randomized trials reported that increasing consumption of potassium-rich foods consistent with the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet did not raise serum potassium to dangerous levels among adults taking common blood pressure medications or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The analysis found no significant increase in potassium levels after 12 weeks whether participants received DASH-pattern groceries or a monetary stipend to purchase their own food.
High serum potassium (hyperkalemia) can impair cardiac rhythm and is more likely in people with impaired kidney function. Certain medications used to treat hypertension, heart failure and type 2 diabetes—such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi), angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) and potassium-sparing diuretics—can increase blood potassium. The DASH diet is an established dietary pattern to lower blood pressure that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and low-fat dairy while limiting red meat, sodium and added sugars. Investigators assessed whether the potassium load inherent to the DASH pattern would produce unsafe potassium increases in people taking these medications.
This work was a secondary analysis of the GoFresh and GoFreshRx randomized trials conducted in the Boston area from August 2022 to September 2026. The pooled analysis included 356 Black adults with treated or untreated high blood pressure. The mean participant age was 53 years, and 70% were women. At enrollment, participants had systolic blood pressure between 120 mm Hg and less than 150 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure below 100 mm Hg. The trials specifically recruited residents with limited access to grocery stores.
Half of participants were randomized to receive three months of weekly DASH-patterned groceries plus weekly nutrition counseling sessions. The supplied foods in the DASH grocery delivery were designed to provide approximately 4,700 mg of potassium per day and an approximate 2:1 potassium-to-sodium ratio. The comparator arm received a cash stipend every four weeks for three months to purchase groceries without nutrition counseling. Serum potassium was measured at baseline and again after 12 weeks in both groups.
Researchers examined the impact of the DASH grocery intervention among subgroups taking several medication classes: ACE inhibitors (ACEi), angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), potassium-sparing diuretics and beta blockers, and also evaluated use of NSAIDs. The GoFresh trials enrolled participants with varying levels of kidney function, allowing assessment of whether dietary potassium led to adverse changes in potassium or kidney measures across different kidney function strata.
At baseline, average serum potassium was within the normal range: 4.16 mmol/L in the group assigned to DASH grocery delivery and 4.18 mmol/L in the stipend group. Over the 12-week intervention period, there was no significant increase in serum potassium in the DASH grocery group compared with the stipend group. Within the grocery intervention arm, serum potassium levels did not differ meaningfully among subgroups taking ACEi/ARBs, potassium-sparing diuretics, beta blockers or NSAIDs. The investigators reported no dangerous changes in potassium levels or kidney function among the participants included in these trials.
The authors highlighted several important limitations. The trials did not include people with stage 4 or stage 5 chronic kidney disease, nor did they include participants who had higher-than-normal potassium levels at baseline. The study population consisted exclusively of Black adults living in Boston, which may limit generalizability to other racial or geographic populations. Because the analysis is based on meeting abstracts, the findings are preliminary and not yet peer-reviewed. The researchers recommend confirming these results in populations with higher baseline potassium and more advanced kidney impairment.
These results were presented as a moderated poster (TH157) at the American Heart Association’s Hypertension Scientific Sessions 2026 held in Arlington, Virginia, October 7–11, 2026. The research highlights and presentation were embargoed until Oct. 8, 2026. Abstracts from the meeting are not peer-reviewed and are considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed manuscript. The abstracts will be published in the Hypertension Scientific Sessions 2026 Supplement of the Hypertension journal. Co-authors, disclosures and funding information are listed in the abstract; the study was funded by the American Heart Association.
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