Too much sodium intake is harmful
A low-salt diet, i.e., a low-salt diet, is usually recommended for patients with heart failure. However, a study has found that reducing salt intake too much at this time can be harmful to heart failure patients.
Heart failure is a disease that occurs when the heart fails to properly supply blood to the body. In this type of heart failure, doctors recommend a low-salt diet to help lower blood pressure and avoid fluid accumulation and swelling, which can be common symptoms of heart failure.
According to a research team at Creighton University School of Medicine in the United States, restricting the daily recommended sodium intake to 2.3 g (5.8 g of salt) or less for heart failure patients did not bring additional benefits, but rather increased the risk of death.
The average American consumes about 3.4 grams of sodium daily, but US Dietary Guidelines recommend limiting it to 2.3 grams or less daily. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended daily intake of sodium is 2 g (5 g of salt).
The research team measured sodium intake levels and analyzed data on mortality and hospitalization rates through nine clinical trials involving 3,500 heart failure patients. Clinical trials were conducted between 2008 and 2022.
The study found that patients who followed a diet with a sodium target of 2.5 grams or less per day were 80% more likely to die than those who followed a diet of 2.5 grams or more per day.
“Our results show that restricting salt intake to less than the usual recommended amount is counterproductive for heart failure management,” said Dr. Anirud Palicella of the research team. The amount to limit is debatable,” he said.
“Rather than over-restricting sodium, the focus should be on establishing a safe level of sodium intake,” he added. The contents of this study (Too Little Sodium Can be Harmful to Heart Failure Patients) were presented at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association held in New Orleans, USA on the 5th (local time).
