By Atanas G. Atanasov

Background: This #DoesItWorkSummary is based on the findings of a systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials study published in the Journal of Hypertension in April 2018 [1]. Arterial stiffness, the loss of elasticity of arterial vessels, is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (the major cause of human death), and is also linked to higher general risk of death [2]. Increasing of arterial stiffness is also closely associated to high blood pressure [3]. Dietary sodium (a major chemical constituent of table salt) reduction lowers blood pressure [4], therefore, it is of relevance to examine if sodium intake reduction will also reduce arterial stiffness. A systematic evaluation of the available human trial data was done to get overview if decrease in sodium consumption would indeed translate in decrease of arterial stiffness.

Findings: Analyzed were 14 trials involving 431 people [1]. The available results indicated that short-term (1-6 weeks) reduction of sodium intake with an average of 5.2 g table salt per day leads to 2.8% decrease of arterial stiffness. Since usual salt intake per day in most Western countries is around 10 g, the arterial stiffness-lowering effect achieved could be viewed as a result of decreasing approximately twice the typical daily salt intake. The observed effect was not entirely related to blood pressure decrease, and also involved blood pressure-independent effects on the arterial blood vessels.

References

1 D’Elia, L., Galletti, F., La Fata, E., Sabino, P. and Strazzullo, P. (2018) Effect of Dietary Sodium Restriction on Arterial Stiffness. Journal of Hypertension, 36, 734–743. https://doi.org/10.1097/HJH.0000000000001604.

2 Vlachopoulos, C., Aznaouridis, K. and Stefanadis, C. (2010) Prediction of Cardiovascular Events and All-Cause Mortality With Arterial Stiffness. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 55, 1318–1327. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2009.10.061.

3 Ecobici, M. and Stoicescu, C. (2017) Arterial Stiffness and Hypertension – Which Comes First? Maedica, Amaltea Medical, Editura Magister, 12, 184–190. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29218066.

4 Sacks, F.M., Svetkey, L.P., Vollmer, W.M., Appel, L.J., Bray, G.A., Harsha, D., Obarzanek, E., Conlin, P.R., Miller, E.R., Simons-Morton, D.G., Karanja, N., Lin, P.-H., Aickin, M., Most-Windhauser, M.M., Moore, T.J., Proschan, M.A. and Cutler, J.A. (2001) Effects on Blood Pressure of Reduced Dietary Sodium and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Diet. New England Journal of Medicine, Massachusetts Medical Society , 344, 3–10. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM200101043440101.

Tropical rainforest, Queensland, Australia. Photo by Dr. Rohan Davis.

Analytical equipment. Photo by Atanas G. Atanasov.

Hep-2 signal activated cells. Image by Dr. Vassilis Doucas.

Flower blossoms at gardens by the bay Singapore-photo by Dr. Hemanth Kumar Boyina.

Saffron plants, Zapponeta (Foggia), South of Italy. Photo by Dr. Grazia D'Onofrio.

Blood cells colored with fluorescence dye. Photo by Dr. Davide Barreca.

Substance library. Photo by Dr. Nikolay Tzvetkov.

Lichens of the Eastern Morocco, Oujda, Morocco. Photo by Dr. Khalid El Bairi ©.

The Botanical Garden of Department of Pharmacognosy, University of Vienna, Austria. Photo by Atanas G. Atanasov.

Lagoon of the seven cities, a twin lake in the crater of a dormant volcano in the western part of the São Miguel island (Azores, Portugal). Photo by Dr. Ana Sanches Silva.

Central Australian desert scene. Photo by Dr. Rohan Davis.

HEK293T cells. Photo by Atanas G. Atanasov.

Tropical rainforest, Queensland, Australia. Photo by Dr. Rohan Davis.

Australian ocean scene. Photo by Dr. Rohan Davis.

Laboratory equipment. Photo by Atanas G. Atanasov.

Rhododendron arboreum flower. Photo by Devesh Tewari.

The Valley of Flowers, Himalaya, India. Photo by Dr. Rajeshwari Singh.

Bryce Canyon, Utah, USA. Photo by Dr. Anupam Bishayee.

Euphorbia prolifera Buch. (Ham) Ex. Photo by Devesh Tewari.

Foothills of Himalaya, India. Photo by Devesh Tewari.

The Valley of Flowers, Himalaya, India. Photo by Dr. Rajeshwari Singh.

Eco-School Festival, Leiria-Portugal, Spring 2018

Polygonum maritimum (L.) (Polygonaceae)- Ourdania beach (Ain Temouchent- west Algeria)- taken by PhD. EL HACI Imad Abdelhamid

Flower blossoms at gardens by the bay Singapore-photo by Dr. Hemanth Kumar Boyina.

Keywords: #DoesItWorkSummary, dietary sodium, arterial stiffness, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, table salt, arterial blood vessels, CVD.

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