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Salt and blood pressure in children

Journal of Human Hypertension volume 22, pages 1–3 (2008)Cite this article

The relationship of dietary sodium to blood pressure in adults is well established by substantial epidemiological and clinical data,1, 2 as well as various pathophysiological studies.3, 4 Not surprisingly, considerably less is known about the relationship in children.

In this issue of the Journal of Human Hypertension, He et al.5 analysed the salt to blood pressure link in a cross-sectional study of a large representative sample of British children. They found that, in children 4–18 years old, sodium, potassium, and energy intake, body mass index, arm circumference and all measures of blood pressure, increase with age. In the group as a whole, a significant direct relationship between salt intake and blood pressure was found, even after the adjustment for multiple potential confounders. Specifically, a difference in salt intake of 1 g was associated with a 0.4 mm Hg rise in blood pressure. However, the significance of this relationship disappeared after correction for energy intake. Stratification by 5-year age tertiles suggested a similar tendency towards a positive salt to blood pressure relation within each group. Interestingly, discretionary salt use, either at table or in cooking, was not associated with blood pressure in these youngsters.

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  1. Department of Epidemiology & Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA

    M H Alderman

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Alderman, M. Salt and blood pressure in children. J Hum Hypertens 22, 1–3 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jhh.1002269

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