Blood pressure: why reducing salt consumption is as effective as taking medication
A recent study conducted by Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), Northwestern Medicine, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham reveals that virtually everyone can lower their blood pressure, even those people who are currently taking blood pressure-lowering medications. blood pressure, simply by decreasing your sodium intake.
In the study, middle-aged to elderly participants reduced their salt consumption by about a teaspoon a day compared to their usual diet. The result was a decrease in systolic blood pressure by about 6 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), which is comparable to the effect produced by a first-line medication commonly used for high blood pressure, according to Dr. Deepak Gupta, professor associate of Medicine at VUMC and co-principal investigator.
“We found that 70% to 75% of all people, regardless of whether they are already taking blood pressure medications or not, are likely to see a reduction in their blood pressure if they decrease sodium in their diet,” he said. co-principal investigator Dr. Norrina Allen, professor of Preventive Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
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This study is one of the largest to investigate the effect of reducing dietary sodium on blood pressure, including people with hypertension who are already taking medications.
“Previously, we didn’t know whether people already taking blood pressure medications could further lower their blood pressure by lowering their sodium intake,” said Allen, who is also a professor of health policy and director of the Center for Epidemiology and Health. Population in Northwestern.
The study, published Nov. 11 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, was simultaneously presented at the American Heart Association’s 2023 Scientific Sessions in Philadelphia.
How much salt should we eat to take care of our arterial pressure?
The total daily sodium intake recommended by the American Heart Association (AHA) is to be below 1,500 milligrams, and this study was designed to reduce that even further, according to Allen. “It may be challenging, but reducing your sodium by any amount will be beneficial,” she noted.
High blood pressure is the main cause of morbidity and mortality in the world. “ High blood pressure can lead to heart failure, heart attacks and strokes because it puts extra pressure on the arteries,” Allen warned. “It affects the heart’s ability to work effectively and pump blood.”
Middle-aged to elderly individuals, ages 50 to 70, from Birmingham, Alabama, and Chicago were randomly assigned to a high-sodium diet (2,200 mg daily in addition to their usual diet) or a low-sodium diet (500 mg in total per day) for a week. They then switched to the opposite diet for another week.
Each study participant wore a blood pressure monitor the day before each appointment and collected urine for a 24-hour period. Among the 213 participants, systolic blood pressure was significantly reduced by 7 to 8 mm Hg when they were on the low-sodium diet compared to the high-sodium diet, and by 6 mm Hg compared to their usual diet.
Overall, 72% of participants experienced a reduction in their systolic blood pressure on the low-sodium diet compared to their usual diet.
“The effect of reducing dietary sodium on lowering blood pressure was consistent in almost all people, including those with normal, high, treated and untreated blood pressure,” Gupta said.
“Just as any physical activity is better than none for most people; “any sodium reduction from the current regular diet is probably better than none for most people when it comes to blood pressure,” she added.
