Cardiology Medical News about Salt Reduction

Become a Member Today!
Register

Most Viewed Abstracts

1. Report Shows Shift in Starting Salaries for Physicians

2. Pre-participation screening of young competitive athletes for prevention of sudden cardiac death

3. The Job Market for 2008-2009: Compensation

4. Renal Artery Stenosis

5. AHA Guidelines on Cardiac CT for Assessing Coronary Artery Disease

Your Article Summary

See Latest Articles

(Click the title below to leave the MDLinx Network and go to the Journal's Website)

Effect of Modest Salt Reduction on Blood Pressure, Urinary Albumin, and Pulse Wave Velocity in White, Black, and Asian Mild Hypertensives
Hypertension, 07/21/09

He FJ et al. – The results demonstrate that a modest reduction in salt intake, approximately the amount of the current public health recommendations, causes significant falls in blood pressure in all 3 ethnic groups. Furthermore, it reduces urinary albumin and improves large artery compliance.

Exclusive Author Commentary
Feng J. He, 07/22/09

In this carefully controlled double-blind study, we have shown that a modest, easily achievable reduction in salt intake causes significant and important falls in BP in all three ethnic groups of individuals with mildly raised blood pressure. The results in Asian participants (94% were of South Asian origin) are of particular interest, as this is the first longer-term modest salt reduction trial in this group and demonstrates a clear benefit of salt reduction. Furthermore, our study shows that a modest reduction in salt intake has other beneficial effects on health, i.e. reducing urinary albumin excretion, improving large elastic artery compliance and decreasing urinary calcium excretion. These results, in conjunction with other evidence, suggest that a lower salt intake, in the long-term, could play an important role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease, renal disease and osteoporosis. All health professionals should give their patients appropriate advice on how to reduce their salt intake. In most developed countries, approximately 80% of salt intake comes from salt hidden in foods, i.e. added by the food industry. It is therefore important that people check food labels for salt and choose lower salt options. At the same time, people should stop adding salt during cooking and at the table, avoid salty ketchup, soy sauce, stock cubes, pickles, etc. To achieve a successful reduction in salt intake in the whole population, it is vital to persuade the food industry to make a gradual and sustained reduction in the amount of salt they add to foods. The best strategy is small and repeated reductions, i.e. 10-20% reductions repeated at 1 to 2 year intervals. Such reductions cannot be detected by the human salt taste receptors and do not cause any technological or safety problems either. This strategy is currently being carried out in the UK on a voluntary and collaborative basis with the food industry. A recent study in adults has demonstrated that salt intake in the UK has already fallen. Such a policy could easily be adopted by other developed countries. A modest reduction in salt intake across the whole population would result in a major improvement in public health.

<< Previous
Effects of Chronic Baroreceptor Stimulation on the Autonomic...

Next >>
Improved Combined Superior-Transseptal Approach to the Mitral...