Intersalt in Newfoundland and Labrador

In Intersalt, positive relations between 24-hour urinary sodium and potassium excretion and blood pressure were observed in over 10,000 men and women in 52 centers around the world. Body mass index (BMI), alcohol intake and smoking showed different associations with blood pressure in various population groups. We investigated these variables in the 2 Canadian centers and could not confirm the sodium-potassium relationship. In a multiple stepwise regression analysis, BMI and alcohol had the strongest relation with blood pressure in men. Among the female participants, BMI and sodium were the most influential factors on systolic blood pressure. For diastolic blood pressure, BMI and smoking showed the strongest significance. Neither in men nor in women could the influence of high sodium and low potassium excretion on blood pressure be discerned.