Compliance with salt restriction as a limiting factor in the primary prevention of hypertension

It is an important but still unresolved question whether reduction of salt intake in the offspring of hypertensives (a high risk group) prevents the development of the disease. Therefore, 178 offspring (14-26 years old) of hypertensives were enrolled in a 2-year pilot trial aimed mainly at a reduction in salt consumption. For the intervention group (n = 99) a behavioural approach was chosen with extensive counselling by experienced dietitians. The controls (n = 79) received no continuous dietary advice. Both groups showed a small decline in sodium intake over time, but the differences between the two groups were not significant. Division into subgroups with and without sodium reduction revealed no differences in blood pressure. We conclude that the inherent resistance to any change of lifestyle among healthy subjects may require new and more comprehensive motivational approaches.