A recent study suggests that salt reduction should be confined to hypertensive individuals with high salt intake. However, this study has serious methodological issues and its findings should therefore not challenge the strong evidence supporting the benefits of salt reduction for the general population.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$209.00 per year
only $17.42 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Mente, A. et al. Associations of urinary sodium excretion with cardiovascular events in individuals with and without hypertension: a pooled analysis of data from four studies. Lancet http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(16)30467-6 (2016).
He, F. J., Ivkovic, V., Jelakovic, B., Morris, J. & MacGregor, G. A. Estimation of sodium excretion should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler: misleading papers and editorial on spot urines. J. Hypertens. 33, 884–886 (2015).
Cogswell, M. E., Mugavero, K., Bowman, B. A. & Frieden, T. R. Dietary sodium and cardiovascular disease risk — measurement matters. N. Engl. J. Med. http://dx.doi.org/10.1056/NEJMsb1607161 (2016).
He, F. J., Li, J. & MacGregor, G. A. Effect of longer term modest salt reduction on blood pressure: Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised trials. BMJ 346, f1325 (2013).
He, F. J. & MacGregor, G. A. How far should salt intake be reduced? Hypertension 42, 1093–10999 (2003).
He, F. J. & MacGregor, G. A. Salt reduction lowers cardiovascular risk: meta-analysis of outcome trials. Lancet 378, 380–382 (2011).
He, F. J., Pombo-Rodrigues, S. & MacGregor, G. A. Salt reduction in England from 2003 to 2011: its relationship to blood pressure, stroke and ischaemic heart disease mortality. BMJ Open 4, e004549 (2014).
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). Cardiovascular disease prevention. http://guidance.nice.org.uk/PH25 (2010).
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Sodium reduction. http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/FoodAdditivesIngredients/ucm253316.htm (2016).
Mozaffarian, D. et al. Global sodium consumption and death from cardiovascular causes. N. Engl. J. Med. 371, 624–634 (2014).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Competing interests
F.J.H is a member of Consensus Action on Salt & Health (CASH) and World Action on Salt & Health (WASH). Both CASH and WASH are non-profit charitable organisations. F.J.H does not receive any financial support from CASH or WASH. G.A.M is Chairman of Blood Pressure UK (BPUK), also a non-profit charitable organization, Chairman of CASH and Chairman of WASH. G.A.M does not receive any financial support from any of these organisations.
PowerPoint slides
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
He, F., MacGregor, G. Salt: flawed research should not divert actions to reduce intake. Nat Rev Nephrol 12, 514–515 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneph.2016.97
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneph.2016.97
This article is cited by
-
Sodium Intake and Risk of Hypertension: A Systematic Review and Dose–Response Meta-analysis of Observational Cohort Studies
Current Hypertension Reports (2022)