| If you have normal blood pressure (normotensive population), then a high-salt diet has no association with cardiovascular events and death: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-67...
/"Compared with moderate sodium intake, high sodium intake is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events and death in hypertensive populations (no association in normotensive population), while the association of low sodium intake with increased risk of cardiovascular events and death is observed in those with or without hypertension. These data suggest that lowering sodium intake is best targeted at populations with hypertension who consume high sodium diets."/ Eating too little salt can result in increased risk of cardiovascular events and death:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3558770/
/"we cannot extrapolate that lowering sodium consumption would reduce cardiovascular risk or premature death. In fact, randomized controlled trial evidence suggests just the opposite: that lower sodium intake may lead to worsened cardiovascular disease and earlier death."/ Low salt == higher risk of a heart attack resulting in death:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21540421
/"Among 3681 participants followed up for a median 7.9 years, CVD deaths decreased across increasing tertiles of 24-hour sodium excretion... Lower sodium excretion was associated with higher CVD mortality."/ Salt intake is not associated with blood pressure, although body mass index and age are:
https://academic.oup.com/ajh/article/28/3/362/2743418/Relati...
/"Considering their squared partial correlation coefficient, age and BMI were the most important parameters relating to SBP [systolic blood pressure] level. Salt intake was not associated with SBP in either sex after multiple adjustments." If you do have high blood pressure, supplement with potassium:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26039623
/"Potassium supplementation is associated with reduction of blood pressure"// Salt intake is not linked to heart problems for adults 71 to 80 years old:
http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullart...
/"we observed that sodium intake estimated by FFQ [food frequency questionnaire] was not associated with mortality or risk for CVD [cardiovascular disease] and HF [heart failure] in a cohort of adults 71 to 80 years old. These findings extended to sex-based and race-based subgroups and in participants with and without hypertension at baseline."/ |
Note that for some very common blood pressure meds, potassium is contraindicated and can lead to hyperkalemia (excessive potassium). This should be indicated in a warning printed on the bottle.