Reducing salt intake for prevention of cardiovascular disease--times are changing

Katarzyna Stolarz-Skrzypek; Jan A Staessen

doi:10.1053/j.ackd.2014.12.002

Reducing salt intake for prevention of cardiovascular disease--times are changing

Adv Chronic Kidney Dis. 2015 Mar;22(2):108-15. doi: 10.1053/j.ackd.2014.12.002.

Authors

Katarzyna Stolarz-Skrzypek¹, Jan A Staessen²

Affiliations

¹ First Department of Cardiology, Interventional Electrocardiology and Hypertension, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland; Studies Coordinating Centre, Division of Hypertension and Cardiovascular Rehabilitation, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; and Department of Epidemiology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
² First Department of Cardiology, Interventional Electrocardiology and Hypertension, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland; Studies Coordinating Centre, Division of Hypertension and Cardiovascular Rehabilitation, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; and Department of Epidemiology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands. Electronic address: jan.staessen@med.kuleuven.be.

PMID: 25704347
DOI: 10.1053/j.ackd.2014.12.002

Abstract

The evidence relating blood pressure to salt intake in humans originates from population studies and randomized clinical trials of interventions on dietary salt intake. Estimates from meta-analyses of trials in normotensive subjects generally are similar to estimates derived from prospective population studies (+1.7 mm Hg increase in systolic blood pressure per 100-mmol increment in 24-hour urinary sodium). This estimate, however, does not translate into an increased risk of incident hypertension in subjects consuming a high salt diet. Prospective studies relating health outcomes to 24-hour urinary sodium excretion produced inconsistent results. Taken together, available evidence does not support the current recommendations of a generalized and indiscriminate reduction of salt intake at the population level, although the blood pressure-lowering effect of dietary sodium restriction might be of value in hypertensive patients.

Keywords: Blood pressure; Cardiovascular mortality; Cardiovascular outcomes; Salt; Sodium.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Blood Pressure / physiology*
Diet, Sodium-Restricted* / methods
Diet, Sodium-Restricted* / trends
Humans
Hypertension* / diagnosis
Hypertension* / diet therapy
Hypertension* / metabolism
Hypertension* / physiopathology
Kidney / physiology*
Kidney Concentrating Ability
Recommended Dietary Allowances / trends
Sodium Chloride, Dietary / metabolism*

Substances

Sodium Chloride, Dietary