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Asking people to reduce their dietary salt intake can help slightly lower blood pressure, but it does not have any effect on their risk of heart attack or cardiac death, according to a new review of existing research.
Professor Rod Taylor of the University of Exeter and his team examined data from seven randomized controlled trials published previously followed intake and rates of death or cardiovascular events serious (such as heart attack, heart surgery or stroke) salt from nearly 6,500 participants, with follow-up of at least six months.
While lowering dietary salt led to a slight drop in blood pressure, the researchers found no strong evidence that it has reduced the death rate among people with hypertension or pressure normal blood. One study suggested that restricting salt in patients with congestive heart failure could even potentially increase the risk of death.
Overall, the authors of the study concluded that there was not enough data in the studies together to make a conclusion about the impact of salt reduction on the risk of major cardiovascular events. More rigorous studies, a large and long-term are necessary.
Yet there is a lot of data - and consensus among experts - that excess dietary salt affects blood pressure and cardiovascular health. Reported Wall Street Journal
Taylor tells the Health Blog that does not question the notion that salt intake is related to cardiovascular risk. But he says giving individuals dietary advice alone will not cut it as a way to permanently reduce their salt intake, and therefore is not likely to have a long term impact on health. "What does not work is the board," he said
Taylor notes that the table salt shaker is not the real problem. ". invisible salt "75% of our salt intake comes from restaurant meals and packaged foods as So, tell people to reduce salt without simultaneously obtain food manufacturers to use less salt is not likely result in significant reductions of consumption.
Americans eat an average of 3,400 mg of sodium per day, far more than the limits set by government dietary guidelines, which recommend that healthy adults stick to 2.300 mg daily and those over 51, African-Americans of any age, and people with hypertension, kidney disease or one of several other conditions consume less than 1,500 mg of sodium . per day
the best way to get enough sodium - which is essential for good health - without going overboard is to cut processed, packaged foods in favor of whole fruits, vegetables and meat
.So what is the right amount of sodium for you? "There is a good amount of sodium that we all need in our diets," Dr. Stephanie Moore, a cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, told ABC News. "Set [a] good amount of sodium - it is the study we need. "
the current revision was published in full by Cochrane Library and an abbreviated version appears in the American Journal of Hypertension .
Meredith Melnick is a reporter at TIME. Find her on Twitter at @MeredithCM. You can also continue the discussion on TIME's Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME.
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