A high sodium, low potassium diet increases risk of CVD death - JAMA paper
New research has provided further evidence that a diet high in sodium, particularly when combined with diet low in potassium, increases risk of death from cardiovascular disease (heart attacks, stroke, heart failure). The results come from a study which followed a cohort of 12,000 members of the US population for an average of 14.8 years. After a multivariate adjustment, an increased risk of CVD and all-case mortality in people with a high sodium potassium ratio was found. An increase in total mortality was also found in those with higher sodium intake. Age, sex, ethnicity, BMI, hypertension status, education level or activity level did not change the results.
Professor Graham MacGregor, CASH chairman, says "This new study is a larger and better performed study than others that have been recently published regarding sodium intake and CVD risk. It provides further evidence that eating too much sodium significantly increases risk of premature death. This study also confirms the additional benefits of increasing potassium intake if sodium intake is high. However it doesn't change the fact that the biggest health benefits will come from a reduction in the sodium content of processed foods, which the industry has shown they can do."
Q. Yang, T. Liu, E.V. Kuklina, W.D. Flanders, Y. Hong, C. Gillespie, et al.“Sodium and Potassium Intake and Mortality Among US Adults: Prospective Data From the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey” Archives of Internal Medicine. 2011. 171 (13), 1183-1191
:L.D. Silver, T.A. Farley. “Sodium and Potassium Intake: Mortality Effects and Policy Implications”. Archives of Internal Medicine. 2011. 171 (13), 1191 – 1192
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