The salt reduction in the diet of middle-aged and older adults had the same effect for reduce the blood pressure than commonly used antihypertensive drugs, according to a study carried out by researchers from various centers in the United States. USA.
They found that reduce daily sodium intake by about 4 milligrams per day significantly decreased systolic blood pressure in more than 70% of adults aged 50 to 75 years in just one week compared to your usual diet.
The results of the study were published in the journal JAMA of the American Medical Association and presented at the scientific sessions of the American Heart Associationwhich were held in Philadelphia.
It’s the first study to show that people already taking blood pressure medication can lower their blood pressure even further by limiting sodium intake, according to Norrina Allen, co-principal investigator and professor of preventive medicine at the Feinberg School of Medicine. Northwestern University.
“High blood pressure is the most common chronic disease in the world and, for most adults, dietary sodium intake influences blood pressure,” he said. Deepak Guptaassociate professor of medicine and director of the Center for Clinical and Translational Cardiovascular Research, in Nashville, Tennessee, and one of the study’s co-authors.
“However, dietary sodium recommendations are debated in part because of variability in the blood pressure response to dietary sodium intake,” he said.
Researchers measured participants’ blood pressure while they followed their usual diets, and then conducted a randomized trial in these same participants to understand how variation in dietary sodium between higher and lower sodium intake may be related. with changes in blood pressure.
More than 200 adults ages 50 to 75 participated in the study. Development of Coronary Artery Risk in Young Adults (CARDIA), as well as other people.
Participants were randomly assigned to a high-sodium diet with 2.2 milligrams of sodium added to their usual daily diet, or a low-sodium diet with a total of 5 grams of sodium daily for one week.
Participants later switched to the opposite diet for a week. Participants’ blood pressure was measured over a 24-hour period on the last day of each diet. The results showed that a week of low-sodium diet significantly reduced systolic blood pressure in almost 75% of adults.
They also found that the average systolic blood pressure measurements were 125, 126, and 119 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) for the usual, high-, and low-sodium diets, respectively. Systolic blood pressure was significantly reduced by 7-8 mm Hg for participants following the low-sodium diet compared to participants in the high-sodium group and by 6 mm Hg compared to participants following their usual diet.
These systolic blood pressure reductions are comparable to those achieved with a common first-line hypertension medication, according to Dr. Gupta’s team. The usual diet of most participants was already very high in sodium, about 4.5 milligrams per day. Participants’ systolic blood pressure was not significantly higher on the high-sodium diet than on the usual diet.
In contrast, returning to a high-sodium diet did raise blood pressure when starting from the low-sodium baseline. “These results indicate that lowering blood pressure by reducing dietary sodium can be achieved safely and rapidly within a week,” said Gupta. “Our study also supports the position of the American Heart Association “that consuming excess sodium above recommended levels is associated with an increase in blood pressure,” he added.
Furthermore, the effect of dietary sodium reduction on blood pressure was consistent in individuals with normal blood pressure, treated high blood pressure, and untreated high blood pressure. “This reinforces the importance of reducing dietary sodium intake to help control blood pressure, even among individuals already taking medications for hypertension,” Gupta said.
“Just as any physical activity is better than none for most people, any sodium reduction from the current typical diet is probably better than none,” he said.
Unlike several of the previous larger studies examining the effect of sodium on blood pressure, the trial included people taking medication for high blood pressure, as well as people with diabetes (type 1 or type 2 not included). , the researchers noted.
“This is an interesting study, but it falls halfway in some aspects. The researchers analyzed the effect of salt consumption on blood pressure. “It looks at the difference in blood pressure based on salt consumption and then the use of antihypertensive medications,” he explained to Infobae the doctor Judith Zilbermancoordinator of the Arterial Hypertension Service of the Dr. Cosme Argerich General Acute Hospital in the city of Buenos Aires and member of the Argentine Federation of Cardiology.
He noted that the authors mention a comparison between decreasing salt consumption and a first-line medication. “It will depend on the type of associated monodrug drug. Because today the guidelines indicate starting a combined treatment of two or three drugs depending on the patient’s history, except in older people or labile people who start with a single drug.”
The number of participants was small and included subgroups, and the pressure varied by ethnic group, Zilberman said. “Comparing salt reduction with what a first-line medication does should be more studied to have stronger evidence. “It could confuse health professionals and the general population,” said Zilberman.
The specialist also considered that “although it is a challenging job, it has limitations. The population should consult and measure their blood pressure to detect hypertension early. If hypertension is diagnosed, salt consumption should be reduced and access and adhere to the treatment indicated by the health professional.”
In countries like Argentina, “the maximum recommended level of salt per day was 5 grams. But 11 grams were consumed on average. The healthy eating law that requires front labeling can help the population take into account the excess salt found in ultra-processed products,” highlighted the expert.
While, Marcos Marinformer president of the Argentine Hypertension Societyhe said when consulted by Infobae: “The study in the United States adds more evidence that a low-sodium diet can lower blood pressure levels. “This is a work with a limited sample of participants and a short duration.”
It shows that “in just one week patients can lower their blood pressure if they reduce their salt consumption. The challenge is to maintain this consumption in a sustainable way over time. For this reason, I recommend to my patients with hypertension that they should not eat a sandwich, bills or a pizza every day. No more than 2 grams of salt per day. Instead, they should consume more fruits and vegetables, which have potassium and counteract the effect of salt. When the person gets used to eating with less salt, the same body begins to reject it.”