Researchers find link between low dietary salt intake and reduced CVD risk — ScienceDaily

There is substantial evidence linking high sodium intake to hypertension, a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, epidemiological studies investigating this association have yielded conflicting results due to the lack of practical methods for assessing long-term dietary sodium intake. It has been suggested that the frequency with which salt is added can be used to predict an individual’s sodium intake over time.

“Overall, we found that people who did not add a small amount of salt to their diet had a significantly lower risk of heart disease, regardless of lifestyle factors or pre-existing medical conditions,” said Lu Qi, MD, PhD. , HCA Regents Distinguished Chair and Professor, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans. “We also found that patients had the lowest risk of heart disease when they combined the DASH diet with low-salt intake. It makes sense because reducing is an incredibly modifiable risk factor, hopefully encouraging patients without making too many sacrifices.”

In the current study, the authors evaluated whether the frequency of adding salt to food was associated with the risk of developing heart disease in 176,570 participants from the UK Biobank. We also examined the association between the frequency of adding salt to food and the DASH diet, as it is associated with disease risk.

This study used a questionnaire at baseline to collect data on the frequency of adding salt to foods that did not contain salt used in cooking. and whether they had completed 1-5 rounds of the 24-hour dietary recall over the 3-year period.

The DASH-style diet was developed to prevent high blood pressure by limiting consumption of red and processed meats and focusing on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy, nuts and legumes. The DASH diet has provided benefits in terms of reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, but recent clinical trials have shown that the DASH diet combined with reduced salt intake may reduce certain health conditions such as heart damage, strain and inflammation. It was found to be more beneficial for cardiac biomarkers. Researchers calculated a modified DASH score that does not take sodium intake into account, based on the seven foods and nutrients emphasized or downplayed in a DASH-style diet.

Data on cardiac events were collected from medical histories, hospitalization data, questionnaires and death record data.

Overall, study participants who added salt to their food less frequently were more likely to be female. white; low body mass index; Moderate alcohol consumption is likely. Less likely to be a current smoker. and more physically active. They also had higher prevalence of hypertension and chronic kidney disease, but lower prevalence of cancer. Eat less vegetables, nuts, legumes, whole grains, low-fat diets, sugary drinks, or red/processed meats. Add salt to foods.

The researchers found that the association between adding salt to food and heart disease risk was stronger in participants of lower socioeconomic status, as in current smokers. The higher the score, the lower the risk of heart disease events.

In a related editorial comment, Sara Ghoneim, MD, Fellow in Gastroenterology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, said the study was encouraging and builds on previous reports, suggesting that long-term salt preference may be associated with heart disease. wrote that it alluded to its potential impact on overall vascular risk.

“The main limitations of this study were that the frequency of adding salt to food was self-reported and that participants were only enrolled from the United Kingdom, making it generalizable to other populations with different eating behaviors.” “The results of this study are encouraging and poise to expand our understanding of salt-related behavioral interventions for cardiovascular health.”