Research
Adherence
Long-term advice to reduce dietary sodium in adults produces only small reductions in blood pressure (approx. 1.1 mmHg systolic) and urinary sodium excretion, and intensive behavioral interventions required to achieve these changes are unsuited for primary care or population prevention.
Advice to reduce salt alone yields very small blood pressure benefits (approx 1 mmHg) and is difficult to maintain. For meaningful results, intensive behavioral support is needed, which is rarely feasible in primary care. However, for patients already on blood pressure medication, salt restriction may help them reduce or stop medication without losing control.
GoodQualifiesHIGH confidence
Intensive interventions, unsuited to primary care or population prevention programmes, provide only small reductions in blood pressure and sodium excretion... Systolic and diastolic blood pressures were reduced (systolic by 1.1 mm Hg... diastolic by 0.6 mm Hg)... at 13 to 60 months
Why this rating
Systematic review of 11 RCTs with long-term follow-up (up to 7 years), though mortality data was sparse.
Source
Systematic review of long term effects of advice to reduce dietary salt in adults
Lee Hooper et al. · BMJ · 2002
Meta-analysis · 11 studiesCited 302×
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