1.
Salt intake is not only known to play an important role in determining blood pressure (BP) but has been shown to have other deleterious effects independent of BP. 2. Epidemiological and animal studies have provided evidence that
salt intake may have an adverse effect on
stroke mortality independent of BP. 3. Significant correlation between
sodium excretion (as a measure of
salt intake) and left ventricular (LV)
hypertrophy has been shown in many clinical studies.
Salt restriction has also been found to produce a significant reduction in LV mass. 4. In animal studies,
salt restriction in uninephrectomized spontaneously hypertensive rats retarded renal glomerular injury and suppressed compensatory growth independent of
hypertension. Moreover, a high
sodium diet accelerated
cerebral arterial disease even when no increases in BP could be detected. 5. Epidemiological data have shown an association between
asthma mortality and regional purchases of
table salt. Furthermore, dietary
salt restriction in asthmatic patients results in improvement of symptomatology with lower consumption of
bronchodilators. 6. Patients with
essential hypertension are known to have increased urinary
calcium excretion, and
hypertension may be one factor that may increase the likelihood of
osteoporosis. High
salt intake is also associated with increased
hydroxyproline excretion indicating increased resorption of bone.
Sodium restriction reduces
calcium excretion and may reduce bone demineralization and
hip fractures in a similar manner to that seen with
diuretics.