PART II OF IV SODIUM AND HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SODIUM INTAKE AND BLOOD PRESSURE HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED FOR MANY YEARS.

It was documented as early as 1904.There's a lot of data from epidemiologic, animal, and genetic studies to support the relationship between sodium intake and hypertension. The best evidence to date for this relationship comes from the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH-sodium) study.

Subjects eating the DASH diet had a slightly better improvement in blood pressure at all levels of sodium intake. In fact, in subjects with hypertension, the blood pressure-lowering effect of the DASH diet plus low sodium intake was equal to or greater than what would be expected from a single antihypertensive drug. Systolic blood pressure was lowered by 11.5 mm Hg with the DASH diet plus low sodium compared to the typical diet plus high sodium (p<0.001) in the hypertensive group. But the DASH-sodium results did show that even without dietary changes, reduced sodium intake can lead to a reduction in blood pressure.

Besides actually lowering blood pressure, reducing sodium intake can be beneficial for patients whose hypertension is being treated. Excessive dietary sodium can blunt the blood pressure-lowering effect of most antihypertensive drugs. This is particularly true for individuals who are considered to be "salt-sensitive." This term refers to those whose blood pressure is especially responsive to their sodium intake. Factors predisposing individuals to salt sensitivity are chronic kidney disease, obesity, old or middle-aged, African American ethnicity, and metabolic syndrome or diabetes.

It's important to note that in most patients, potassium intake goes hand-in-hand with sodium intake. A diet low in potassium can cause sodium retention and a subsequent elevation of blood pressure.An increase in dietary potassium can actually reduce sodium sensitivity in people with normal or high blood pressure.

Benefits of Limiting Sodium Intake

Current guidelines for treating hypertension state that reducing sodium intake to less than 2400 mg daily can lower systolic blood pressure, on average, by 2 to 8 mm Hg.The DASH-sodium study backs this up. Without dietary changes other than sodium reduction, systolic blood pressure can be reduced by up to 7 mm Hg when sodium intake is limited to 1500 mg or 65 mmol/day.

Limiting sodium intake as a society could have a major impact on public health. Researchers say that reducing salt intake by 3 grams daily (1200 mg or 50 mmol of sodium) would have an impact on morbidity and mortality similar to the total elimination of cigarette smoking. New cases of heart disease would drop by 6%. There would be 8% fewer heart attacks, and 3% fewer deaths. These benefits would be even more profound for specific groups like African-Americans, whose blood pressure can be more sensitive to salt.


Please remember, as with all our articles we provide information, not medical advice.
For any treatment of your own medical condition you must visit your local doctor, with or without our article[s]. These articles are not to be taken as individual medical advice.

*Tune in tomorrow for PART III OF IV SODIUM AND HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

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