High sodium intake increases BP

Individuals with increased sodium intake experience slight elevations in blood pressure (BP), reports a study involving US Hispanic/Latino adults.

A total of 11,429 participants of the prospective cohort Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos recruited between 2008 and 2011 in visit 1 who participated in a follow-up visit in 2014‒2017 were included in this analysis.

Dietary intakes of sodium and potassium were averaged from two 24-h diet recalls obtained at the first visit. BP was measured three times in a seated position and averaged at both visits. The investigators then explored the association of dietary sodium, potassium, and the sodium-to-potassium ratio with changes in systolic and diastolic BP using survey-weighted multivariable-adjusted regression models.

Participants had a mean age of 41 years at visit 1, and their mean sodium intake was 3,203 mg/d. Each 500-mg/d increment in sodium intake resulted in an increase in systolic (β, 0.35 mm Hg, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.06‒0.63) and diastolic BP (β, 0.45 mm Hg, 95 percent CI, 0.08‒0.82).

On the other hand, dietary potassium and the molar ratio of dietary sodium to potassium displayed no significant association with changes in systolic and diastolic BP.

“Among a large sample of diverse US Hispanic/Latino adults, higher sodium intake was associated with small increases in systolic BP over 6 years,” the investigators said.

“This research underscores the importance of dietary sodium reduction in maintaining lower blood pressure,” they added.