DASH Diet, Nutrition and Hypertension Pioneer to Receive the 2026 Research Achievement Award

DALLAS - October 7, 2026 (NEWMEDIAWIRE) - Leading nutrition and high blood pressure researcher, Lawrence J. Appel, M.D., M.P.H., FAHA, a professor of medicine, epidemiology, international health and nursing at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, will be recognized with the 2026 Research Achievement Award at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2026. The meeting, to be held Nov. 6-9, 2026, in Chicago, is a premier global exchange of the latest scientific advancements, research and evidence-based clinical practice updates in cardiovascular science. Dr. Appel will be presented with the award during the Presidential Session on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026.

Dr. Appel is internationally recognized for research that has transformed the prevention and treatment of high blood pressure and other cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic conditions. His research includes controlled feeding studies, lifestyle intervention trials, chronic kidney disease research and global initiatives to improve hypertension control. Across these areas, he has helped establish practical, evidence-based approaches that allow people to reduce their cardiovascular risk through healthier dietary patterns, lower sodium intake, weight management and other lifestyle changes.

“Congratulations to Dr. Lawrence Appel for receiving the 2026 Research Achievement Award,” said Manesh R. Patel, M.D., FAHA, the American Heart Association's 2026-2027 volunteer president, the Richard S. Stack, M.D. Distinguished Professor of Medicine, chief of the division of cardiology and vice president of heart and vascular services at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. “Dr. Appel’s rigorous research has reinforced the direct connection between a healthy diet and high blood pressure, as well as other cardiovascular conditions. His work has translated complex nutrition science into clear, actionable strategies that have improved care and helped millions of people take meaningful steps to prevent and manage high blood pressure.”

Among Dr. Appel’s most influential contributions is his leadership in the landmark Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH, trial. Published in 1997, the DASH trial demonstrated that a diet high in fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products and lower in saturated fat could substantially reduce blood pressure. The study helped establish the DASH eating plan as a foundational approach to preventing and treating high blood pressure, and it has since been incorporated into cardiovascular prevention recommendations globally.

Dr. Appel was also an investigator in the landmark DASH-Sodium trial, which demonstrated that reducing sodium intake lowered blood pressure and that combining sodium reduction with the DASH dietary pattern produced the greatest benefit. Together, the DASH and DASH-Sodium trials provided compelling evidence that dietary patterns and sodium intake can substantially affect blood pressure, a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The research continues to shape heart-healthy nutrition guidance. In a 2023 American Heart Association scientific statement evaluating 10 popular dietary patterns, the DASH-style eating pattern received a perfect score for its alignment with the Association’s guidance for heart-healthy eating.

Dr. Appel’s subsequent research, the OmniHeart trial, extended the fundamental work from the DASH trial. The OmniHeart trial found that partially replacing dietary carbohydrate with protein or unsaturated fat could further lower blood pressure and improve certain cholesterol and other lipid measures. More recently, he helped lead the DASH4D randomized clinical trial, which evaluated a DASH-style eating pattern tailored for adults with Type 2 diabetes, a population at particularly high risk for cardiovascular and kidney disease. The trial found that combining the DASH4D dietary pattern with reduced sodium produced a clinically meaningful reduction in blood pressure.

Beyond dietary studies, Dr. Appel has led and contributed to major behavioral intervention trials designed to help people make and sustain lifestyle changes. The PREMIER trial tested a comprehensive program combining weight loss, physical activity, sodium reduction and the DASH dietary pattern. The Weight Loss Maintenance trial evaluated strategies to sustain weight loss, while the POWER trial tested practical weight-loss interventions delivered in clinical settings. These studies helped move lifestyle research from tightly controlled environments into approaches that can be used in healthcare and community settings.

Dr. Appel’s expertise also includes substantial contributions to kidney research. Through studies such as the African American Study of Kidney Disease and Hypertension and the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort, he has helped identify factors associated with the development and progression of chronic kidney disease and its cardiovascular complications. This research has advanced understanding of blood pressure targets, genetic risk and disparities in kidney disease progression.

Another feature of his research portfolio are studies that tested the effects of intensive blood pressure control through medications, as well as global implementation research to increase hypertension control rates which are dismally low. Such research involves use of anti-hypertensive medications which he views as complementary and synergistic with lifestyle modification.

“I am incredibly honored to receive the American Heart Association’s 2026 Research Achievement Award,” said Dr. Appel. “Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of working with exceptional participants, investigators, staff and trainees who shared a commitment to improving the health of patients and whole communities. I cannot emphasize too strongly that this recognition reflects the collective efforts of numerous colleagues.”

A longtime Heart Association volunteer, Dr. Appel has been a member of the Council on Epidemiology and Prevention since 1989 and the Council on Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health since 2000. He has also served on the Nutrition Committee since 1998, including as chair from 2006 to 2008; chaired the Sodium Strategy Task Force from 2010 to 2020; and served as chair of the Council on Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health from 2014 to 2016. He has also contributed to the work of the Heart Association’s Council on Hypertension, formerly the Council on High Blood Pressure Research. He was previously recognized as a Distinguished Scientist in 2018 and, in 2025, as the inaugural recipient of the Council on Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health Mentoring Award.

Dr. Appel earned his medical degree from New York University School of Medicine and his Master of Public Health in epidemiology from the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health, now the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He completed his internal medicine residency and served as chief medical resident at what is now Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, followed by a research fellowship in general internal medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He served as director of the Johns Hopkins ProHealth Clinical Research Unit from 1997 to 2026 and director of the Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research, a joint program of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, from 2010 to 2024. Dr. Appel has authored or co-authored more than 700 scientific publications, and he was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2012 and the Association of American Physicians in 2015.

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About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public’s health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.

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