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Food and health

Dietary salt intake is related to inflammation and albuminuria in primary hypertensive patients

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 66, pages 1214–1218 (2012)Cite this article

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Abstract

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES:

In this study, we hypothesized that dietary salt intake may be related with inflammation and albuminuria independently from blood pressure (BP) in non-diabetic hypertensive patients.

SUBJECTS/METHODS:

A total of 224 patients with primary hypertension were included in the study. Serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, 24-h urine sodium and albumin excretion were measured in all patients. The subjects were divided into tertiles according to the level of 24-h urinary sodium excretion: low-salt-intake group (n=76, mean urine sodium: 111.7±29.1 mmol/24 h), medium-salt-intake group (n=77, mean urine sodium: 166.1±16.3 mmol/24 h) and high-salt-intake group (n=71, mean urine sodium: 263.6±68.3 mmol/24 h).

RESULTS:

Systolic and diastolic BP measurements of patients were similar in the three salt-intake groups. CRP and urinary albumin levels were significantly higher in high-salt-intake group compared with medium- and low-salt-intake groups (P=0.0003 and P=0.001, respectively). CRP was positively correlated with 24-h urinary sodium excretion (r=0.28, P=0.0008) and albuminuria, whereas albuminuria was positively correlated with 24-h urinary sodium excretion (r=0.21, P=0.0002). Multiple regression analysis revealed that urinary sodium excretion was an independent predictor of both CRP and albuminuria.

CONCLUSIONS:

These findings suggest that high salt intake is associated with enhanced inflammation and target organ damage reflected by increased albuminuria in treated hypertensive patients independent of any BP effect.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nephrology, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey

    R Yilmaz, H Akoglu, B Altun, T Yildirim, M Arici & Y Erdem

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  1. R Yilmaz
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  2. H Akoglu
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Correspondence to R Yilmaz.

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Yilmaz, R., Akoglu, H., Altun, B. et al. Dietary salt intake is related to inflammation and albuminuria in primary hypertensive patients. Eur J Clin Nutr 66, 1214–1218 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2012.110

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