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Dietary salt reduction or exclusion for allergic asthma
1Department of Public Health, Liverpool Health Authority, Hamilton House, Pall Mall, Liverpool, UK, L3 6AL. kate.ardern@liverpool-ha.nhs.uk
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|November 1, 2001
Summary
Reducing dietary salt intake does not significantly improve asthma control. Current evidence is insufficient to recommend salt reduction for managing asthma symptoms or improving lung function.
Area of Science:
- Respiratory Medicine
- Clinical Nutrition
Background:
- Asthma prevalence varies geographically, potentially influenced by dietary salt consumption.
- Investigating modifiable dietary factors like sodium intake is crucial for asthma management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of dietary sodium reduction on asthma outcomes.
- To synthesize evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on salt intake and asthma.
Main Methods:
- Systematic search of the Cochrane Airways Group asthma register and bibliographies.
- Inclusion of RCTs specifically examining dietary salt reduction or increase in asthma patients.
- Data extraction and quality assessment by two independent reviewers.
Main Results:
- Five small, short-duration RCTs met inclusion criteria; data from three were pooled.
- Low sodium diets led to lower urine sodium excretion.
- No significant differences in asthma outcomes were observed between low-salt and normal/high-salt diets, though FEV1 and PEFR showed slight, non-significant increases with lower salt intake.
Conclusions:
- Available evidence is insufficient to establish a role for dietary salt reduction in asthma treatment or management.
- Further high-quality research is needed to clarify the relationship between sodium intake and asthma control.