Blood pressure is the force that blood flow exerts on the inner walls of the arteries. It fluctuates throughout the day, but when it is persistently high, it is called hypertension, or high blood pressure. Hypertension is a serious condition that can cause severe health problems. Sodium intake can affect blood pressure.
Facts
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, anyone can develop hypertension, regardless of age or background. In the United States, one in three adults has hypertension. In 2006 hypertension contributed to or caused the death of 326,000 Americans. The CDC reports that hypertension will cost the United States $76.6 billion in missed workdays, medication and health care services.
Effects
The walls of the arteries are under constant pressure--even more so with hypertension. This can damage the arteries and lead to conditions such as tears in the small arteries found in the eyes, which can lead to blindness. Blood vessels are also constricted, or narrowed, with hypertension, so blood supply to parts of the body--such as the legs, kidneys, heart and brain--is reduced. Due to this, leg amputation, stroke, heart attack and kidney failure can occur.
Heart failure is another potential effect of hypertension. In this condition, the heart is not able to pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. With hypertension, the heart has to work harder to pump blood out to the body because it has to pump blood against high pressure. Over time, it gets weaker and is unable to pump blood effectively.
Sodium Intake
Hypertension has many risk factors, and a big one is excessive salt consumption. Table salt is made of sodium chloride. Eating large amounts of sodium over a long period of time can cause high blood pressure. This can happen because sodium stimulates the kidneys to retain water. When sodium levels in the body are high, the body retains larger amounts of water, leading to an increase in the amount of blood in the body, or blood volume. When blood volume rises, blood pressure rises as well.
Considerations
Certain individuals are more sensitive to the effects of sodium on blood pressure. When such individuals consume salty foods, their blood pressure goes up easily. The National Institutes of Health, or NIH, notes that hypertension is more prevalent in older people and African-Americans.
Recommendations
The Medline Plus Medical Encyclopedia website recommends that healthy adults consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of salt a day and that those who are hypertensive limit their salt intake to 1,500 mg per day. People who suffer from kidney disease, congestive heart failure and liver cirrhosis may need to consume even smaller amounts of salt.
References
- CDC: High Blood Pressure
- Medline Plus: Sodium in Diet
- National Institutes of Health: The Salty Stuff
- Cleveland Clinic: High Blood Pressure and Nutrition
- "Nutrition"; Paul Insel et al; 2010
