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Published on: March 5, 2019
[Salt and hypertension--100 years of unresolved issues]
Gunnar Nicolaysen1, Per Ole Iversen
1Institutt for medisinske basalfag, Avdeling for fysiologi, Universitetet i Oslo, Postboks 1046 Blindern, 0316 Oslo.
Background:
In recent years, criticism against the so-called "salt hypothesis" has gained momentum. We give a brief review of important data related to this issue, in particular of the evidence-based documentation supporting a general recommendation of reduced salt intake.
Material And Methods:
We searched in PubMed, Ovid and HighWire for papers relating to salt intake, blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.
Results:
Most studies in favour of the salt hypothesis rely on short-term (about 30 days) intervention trials. The possible benefit of salt restriction on hypertension and hypertension-related morbidity and mortality is not firmly established.
Interpretation:
A general recommendation of a reduction in salt intake among Norwegians to 5 g/day or less is not scientifically justified. More studies on salt intake in the general Norwegian population as well as intervention trials spanning years are warranted.
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