Health Information - Salt No Longer Linked to Hypertension

Salt No Longer Linked to Hypertension

For the longest time, salt or sodium was thought to be one of the contributing causes of high blood pressure or hypertension. According to a new study, the sodium levels in the blood are not indicative of a future trouble with hypertension.

The study focused on nearly 2,200 people who were followed for a 4-year period. The study group was divided into three groups; optimal blood pressure, normal blood pressure and high-normal blood pressure. No participants in the group presented with high blood at the inception of the study.

When blood sodium levels increased as the study aged, the participants did not show an increased chance of hypertension, but they did show an increased risk for Diabetes and decreased function of the kidneys.

As the study progressed, nearly 40% of the patients stepped into the next group of the study. In other words, if the participants started in the normal section of the group, they progressed to high-normal. Fifteen percent of the patients were defined as having hypertension by the end of the study.

The kicker was the lack of a link between high sodium levels in the blood and hypertension. Basically, no link was found. However, researchers did find a link between high blood sodium levels and a lower risk of hypertension.

Researchers noted that extenuating circumstances may have lead to the results in the study and suggest watching salt intake in the diet.