High sodium consumption has become a health hazard as a new study from Vanderbilt University found that it directly increases the risk of heart failure. Researchers found that excessive salt consumption results in new cases of the condition because other health factors remain constant.
The Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Advances published findings showing that monitoring sodium intake should be treated as an essential health measure.
The study analyzed more than 25,300 participants in the southeastern United States. On average, participants consumed nearly twice the recommended daily sodium levels.
The study showed that this high intake is associated with a 15 percent increase in the risk of developing heart failure. Researchers emphasized that sodium acts as an independent risk factor, and not just through its influence on blood pressure.
The study showed that every 1,000 milligrams of sodium people consumed daily increased their risk by 8% after researchers controlled their obesity, cholesterol and hypertension levels.
The American Heart Association health guidelines recommend that people should limit their sodium consumption to 2,300 milligrams, which they should not exceed each day. The study found that participants typically consumed about 4,269 milligrams of sodium per day.
Researchers believe that even a small decrease in sodium consumption will lead to a large reduction in the number of heart failure cases. The problem of finding healthy, low-sodium food options remains especially difficult for people living in areas with limited resources.
Researchers are demanding that public health authorities implement better measures that will help reduce excessive sodium consumption as they work to improve ongoing heart health outcomes.
