Recent research shows that reducing sodium intake can significantly lower blood pressure, even in people who are being treated for high blood pressure. By reducing their salt intake by about 1 teaspoon per day, participants experienced a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure, highlighting the important role of diet in blood pressure management.
Most people, including people who take blood pressure-lowering drugs, can lower their blood pressure by reducing their salt intake.
Almost everyone can lower their blood pressure by reducing their sodium intake, including those who are currently taking antihypertensive drugs. That’s according to new research from Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), Northwestern Medicine, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
“In this study, middle-aged to elderly participants reduced their salt intake by about 1 teaspoon per day compared to their usual diet. As a result, their systolic blood pressure decreased by about 6 millimeters of mercury. (mmHg), which is comparable to the effect produced by first-line drugs commonly used for high blood pressure,” said Deepak Gupta, MD, MSCI. Professor of Medicine and Co-Principal Investigator at VUMC.
“We found that 70% to 75% of all people were more likely to experience a decrease in blood pressure when they reduced sodium in their diet, regardless of whether they were already taking blood pressure medication.” the researcher said.Dr. Norina Allen, MPH, Professor of Preventive Medicine northwestern university Feinberg School of Medicine.
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This study is one of the most extensive to investigate the effects of dietary salt reduction on blood pressure in hypertensive patients, including those already on medication. Until now, it was unclear whether people taking antihypertensive drugs could lower their blood pressure further by reducing their sodium intake.
This is one of the largest studies investigating the effect of reducing dietary salt on blood pressure in people already taking medication for hypertension.
“The question remains whether people who are already taking blood pressure medications can actually lower their blood pressure further by reducing salt intake,” said Allen, the Quentin D. Young Professor of Health Policy and director of the Center for Epidemiology and Population. I didn’t know until then.” Northwestern Health.
The study was published in the journal Nov. 11. American Medical Association Journal It was also presented simultaneously at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2023 in Philadelphia.
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MSCI’s Deepak Gupta, MD, VUMC associate professor of medicine, and co-principal investigator;Credit: Vanderbilt University Medical Center
The AHA’s recommended total daily sodium intake is less than 1,500 milligrams, and the study was designed to reduce it even further than that, Allen said. “While it may be difficult, any reduction in sodium can be beneficial,” she said.
Hypertension is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. “High blood pressure puts extra pressure on your arteries, which can lead to heart failure, heart attack, and stroke,” Allen says. “It affects the heart’s ability to work effectively and pump blood.”
Research structure
Middle-aged to elderly adults in their 50s to 70s living in Birmingham, Alabama, and Chicago were placed on either a high-sodium diet (2,200 mg per day in addition to their regular diet) or a low-sodium diet (500 mg total per day). were randomly assigned. day) for one week and then the opposite diet for one week.
The day before each study visit, participants wore a blood pressure monitor and collected a 24-hour urine sample. Among 213 participants, consuming a low-sodium diet significantly lowered systolic blood pressure by 7 to 8 mmHg compared to a high-sodium diet and 6 mmHg compared to a regular diet.
Overall, 72% of participants experienced a reduction in systolic blood pressure with the low-sodium diet compared to the regular diet.
Results and conclusions
“The effect of reducing dietary sodium on lowering blood pressure was consistent across nearly all populations, including those with normotensive blood pressure, those with hypertension, those with treated blood pressure, and those with untreated blood pressure. ” said Professor Gupta.
“For most people, any amount of physical activity is better than none. When it comes to blood pressure, for most people, reducing salt from their current normal diet is better than not reducing salt at all.” “It’s very likely,” he said.
“This highlights the importance of reducing dietary sodium intake to help control blood pressure, even in people taking high blood pressure medications,” Allen added. Ta.
The blood pressure lowering effect of dietary salt reduction was quickly and safely achieved within one week.
Public health impact
“The fact that blood pressure decreased so significantly in just one week and was well tolerated is important, and given that high blood pressure is such a huge health problem around the world, it is important to note that the reduction in blood pressure in the national diet is important. “This highlights the potential impact of salt on public health,” he said. -Researcher Cora Lewis, MD, PhD, Professor, Department of Epidemiology, Professor, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine.
“It’s particularly interesting that the products we used in the low-salt diet are now publicly available, so people can really start improving their health by making dietary changes in this way. ,” Lewis said.
Reference: “Effects of dietary sodium on blood pressure: a cross-over study”, Deepak K. Gupta, Cora E. Lewis, Krista A. Varady, Yan Ru Su, Meena S. Madhur, Daniel T. Lackland, Jared P. Reis , Thomas J. Wang, Donald M. Lloyd-Jones, Norina B. Allen, November 11, 2023, Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association.
DOI: 10.1001/jama.2023.23651
Additional authors include Krista Varady, Ph.D., Yan Lu Hsu, MD, Meena Madur, MD, Daniel Lackland, Ph.D., Jared Reis, Ph.D., Thomas Wang, MD, and Donald.Lloyd Jones, Maryland
This research was supported by grant R01HL148661 and contracts 75N92023D00005 and 75N92023D00004 from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. National Institutes of Health.
The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.