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Effect of low-sodium diet on uteroplacental circulation
F M Delemarre1, L A van Leest, H W Jongsma
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital, St. Radboud Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Objective:
To study the influence of chronic dietary sodium restriction on uteroplacental circulation.
Methods:
In a randomized trial, Doppler flow velocity waveforms of the uterine and umbilical artery were studied at monthly intervals during pregnancy in 59 women on a low-sodium diet and in 68 controls.
Results:
Pulsatility index (PI), resistance index (RI), and A/B ratio of the uterine artery were significantly lower during sodium restriction, whereas PI, RI, and A/B ratio of the umbilical artery were significantly higher.
Conclusions:
The lower resistance indices of the uterine artery during sodium restriction might reflect an increase in pulse pressure/impedance ratio as a result of activation of the renin-angiotensin system. The increase in umbilical artery resistance indices supports the hypothesis that fetal circulation might be altered by chronic dietary sodium restriction.