Alternative Health Blog

In a study involving 1,906 participants, results indicate that adherence to a low-salt diet may reduce blood pressure, particularly in women. The participants underwent a 7-day low-salt dietary intervention (51.3 mmol sodium/day), a 7-day high-salt dietary intervention (307.8 mmol sodium/day), and a 7-day high-salt and potassium dietary intervention (60 mmol potassium/day). The low-salt diet was associated with significantly greater reductions in systolic (-8.1 mm Hg) and diastolic (-4.5 mm Hg) blood pressure in women, as compared to that in men (-7 mm Hg systolic and -3.4 mm Hg diastolic). Similarly, the high-sodium intervention led to a greater increase in blood pressure in women, compared to that in men. Additionally, older subjects showed a greater increase in systolic blood pressure with high-salt intake, while hypertensive subjects showed a greater increase in systolic and diastolic blood pressure with high -salt intake. Thus, the authors of this study conclude, "These results suggest that female gender, older age, and hypertension increase the sensitivity to dietary sodium intervention. Furthermore, low dietary sodium intake may be more effective in reducing BP among these subgroups.
 
Reference:
"Gender difference in blood pressure responses to dietary sodium intervention in the GenSalt study," Je J, Whelton PK, et al, J Hypertens, 2009; 27(1): 48-54. (Address: Department of Epidemiology, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112, USA. E-mail: jhe@tulane.edu ).