DIETARY SALT INTAKE AND HYPERTENSION

There is much circumstancial and some direct evidence in humans to suggest that a high consumption of salt predisposes communities and individuals to the development of essential hypertension. Restriction of salt intake in the diet lowers blood pressure in many subjects with high blood pressure and this fall in blood pressure is mediated in part by a diminished renin response to sodium restriction as hypertension develops. The effect of sodium restriction, like diuretics, is additive to many blood pressure lowering drugs, particularly those that inhibit the renin system such as beta-blockers and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors.