EFFECTS OF SALT INTAKE

High salt intake has been linked to
increased blood pressure and greater
risk for heart problems . But according to
new research, low salt intake may be just as
harmful .

Published in The Lancet, the study found
that low salt, or sodium, intake may raise
the risk of heart attack, stroke , and death,
compared with an average salt intake.
Lead author Andrew Mente, of the Michael
G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster
University in Canada, and colleagues say
their results indicate only people with high
blood pressure (hypertension) who have a
high salt intake should reduce their salt
consumption.
Furthermore, the researchers suggest
current recommendations for daily salt
consumption may be set too low.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans
recommend that Americans consume less
than 2,300 milligrams of sodium each day -
the equivalent to 1 teaspoon of salt.
However, a report from the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) earlier
this year revealed that around 90 percent
of Americans consume salt at levels above
the recommended limit.
It is widely accepted that too much salt in
the diet can lead to high blood pressure,
increasing the risk for heart attack, stroke,
and other cardiovascular diseases.
But does reducing salt intake to the levels
recommended in current guidelines really
reduce the risk of such outcomes? This is
what Mente and colleagues set out to
investigate.
Risks of high salt intake only found in
people with hypertension
The team analyzed data of more than
130,000 individuals spanning 49 countries.
They looked at the sodium intake of
participants and how this related to the risk
of heart disease and stroke among those
with and without high blood pressure.
Compared with people who had an average
sodium intake, the rates of heart attack,
stroke, and death were higher among those
who had a low sodium intake, regardless of
whether participants had high blood
pressure.
Interestingly, low salt intake in the study
was defined as an intake of less than 3,000
milligrams a day, which is above current
recommendations in the United States.
Furthermore, the researchers found that
only individuals with high blood pressure
appeared to be subject to the risks
associated with high salt intake - defined as
more than 6,000 milligrams daily.
Mente says the team's findings are
"extremely important" for individuals with
high blood pressure.
#FECAMDSIMSU.