The Consumption of Salt May Not Affect The Heart

A recent study has found that the consumption of dietary salt may not affect the risk of heart disease in older adults or the risk might be very minimal. This study had been published in the JAMA Internal Medicine and studies about 2,642 people.

The average age of the study group was 74 years. Out of these participants half of them were women. The demography of the group was comprised of 38% African-American and 62% white people. At the beginning of the study all of the participants did not have any heart disease. Researchers had followed this group for a period of 10 years and they used a questionnaire to determine the amount of sodium intake for each person.

The researchers took into consideration other factors such as race, sex, BMI and health and behavioral features. The range of sodium intake varied from less than 1,500 milligram a day to over 2,300 mg and the difference in cardiovascular ailments, heart failure and death were not significant across both groups.

The lead author of the study, the Dr. Andreas Kalogeropoulos from the Emory University, acknowledged that the basis of this research lies on self-reports by participants. This is not always the most reliable method. Health guidelines call for an amount of sodium intake at 1,500 milligrams a day or less for a person aged 51 and above. Dr. Kalogeropoulos said that there were no reason for the number to be raised, despite the results of the study. Further clinical evidence is needed to determine exactly the risk of an elevated salt consumption on the cardiovascular system.