Eat Less Salt for a Healthier Heart, Says New Study

A new research, published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, shows that reducing sodium intake may provide significant improvements in kidney and heart health among patients suffering from chronic kidney disease.

The study showed that in patients with chronic kidney disease, restricting sodium intake reduced albuminuria which is an indicator of kidney dysfunction and blood pressure levels. Researchers also found that  paricalcitol, a vitamin D receptor activator, did not have any significant effect on these measures. However, the combination of paricalcitol and a low sodium diet resulted in the lowest albuminuria levels in patients.

“The study found that sodium restriction could have great benefits, whereas the effect of paricalcitol was small. Thus, the impact of the combined intervention was largely due to the protective effect of sodium restriction,” said Martin de Borst from University Medical Center Groningen, in The Netherlands.

Urinary excretion of proteins, including albumin, is an indicator of chronic kidney disease. Therapies that reduce such albuminuria can slow kidney function decline and also have beneficial effects on the heart and blood vessels, the researchers said. Unfortunately, the therapies that are currently available do not eliminate albuminuria in many patients, leaving these individuals with what is known as residual albuminuria. Thus, reducing the sodium intake could supplement the same.