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Dietary sodium intake deleteriously affects blood pressure in a normotensive population

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 66, pages 533–535 (2012)Cite this article

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Abstract

Western dietary pattern, and particularly high dietary sodium intake (DSI), is recognized for its detrimental impact on blood pressure (BP). This paper examined the association of DSI with BP in Nunavik Inuit (Québec), a population known to have an optimal BP on average. In a population-based study, we recruited 421 normotensive participants aged 18–74 years from 14 coastal villages, situated north of the 55th parallel. BP, biochemistry and anthropometry were obtained. DSI was assessed by a 24-h dietary recall. Mean (s.e.) DSI was higher in men than in women (2358 (101) vs 1702 (100) mg/d, P<0.0001). Similar gender difference was found in systolic BP (118 (0.7) vs 111 (0.6) mm Hg; P<0.0001). After adjustment for confounders, we found a positive association between BP and DSI (all P<0.05). In a normotensive population, BP shows a linear relationship with DSI. Our results emphasize the potent deleterious impact of DSI on BP.

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Acknowledgements

We wish to thank the Nunavik Inuit for their extensive cooperation in this survey. The Nunavik Inuit Health Survey could not have been undertaken without the financial support of the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux du Québec, the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI), the Network of Centres of Excellence of Canada (ArcticNet), the Nasivvik Centre for Inuit Health and Changing Environments, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. The valuable assistance of Inuit representatives—both members of the survey advisory committee and Inuit leaders of each community—is gratefully acknowledged. We are also grateful to all the professionals, technicians, students, interviewers and clerical staff who worked at each stage of the survey process. Our gratitude is also extended to the staff of the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Amundsen. We also thank Dr Richard Poulin for his valuable editing work on the manuscript. Finally, Dr A Ferland is grateful for the financial support provided by the Canadian Diabetes Association and the Fonds de la recherche en santé du Québec (FRSQ).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Axe Santé des Populations et Environnementale, Centre de Recherche du CHUL (CHUQ), Québec, QC, Canada

    M-L Chateau-Degat, A Ferland & É Dewailly

  2. Hyperbaric Unit, CSSS Alphonse-Desjardins (CHAU Hôtel-Dieu-de-Lévis), Lévis, QC, Canada

    M-L Chateau-Degat

  3. Division of Endocrinology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Diabetes and Metabolism, Aurora, CO, USA

    A Ferland

  4. Direction régionale de santé publique du Nunavik, Kuujjuaq, Canada

    S Déry

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  1. M-L Chateau-Degat
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  2. A Ferland
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  3. S Déry
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  4. É Dewailly
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Correspondence to M-L Chateau-Degat.

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Chateau-Degat, ML., Ferland, A., Déry, S. et al. Dietary sodium intake deleteriously affects blood pressure in a normotensive population. Eur J Clin Nutr 66, 533–535 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2012.8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2012.8

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