Panel Finds No Benefit in Sharply Restricting Sodium

[alp227]

In a report that undercuts years of public health warnings, a prestigious group convened by the government says there is no good reason based on health outcomes for many Americans to drive their sodium consumption down to the very low levels recommended in national dietary guidelines.

Those levels, 1,500 milligrams of sodium a day, or a little more than half a teaspoon of salt, were supposed to prevent heart attacks and strokes in people at risk, including anyone older than 50, blacks and people with high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease — a group that makes up more than half of the American population.

Some influential organizations, including the American Heart Association, have said everyone, not just those at risk, should aim for that very low sodium level. The heart association reaffirmed that position in an interview on Monday, even in light of the new report.

But the new expert committee, commissioned by the Institute of Medicine at the behest of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said there was no rationale for anyone to aim for sodium levels below 2,300 milligrams a day. The group examined new evidence that had emerged since the last such report was issued, in 2005.

full: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/15/health/panel-finds-no-benefit-in-sharply-restricting-sodium.html?pagewanted=all

[still_one]

1. Screw these so called recommendations. Telling people not to get PsaS mammography or na restriction

Last edited Tue May 14, 2013, 11:54 PM - Edit history (1)

Is going to hurt a lot of people

[PADemD]

2. From the article

One 2008 study the committee examined, for example, randomly assigned 232 Italian patients with aggressively treated moderate to severe congestive heart failure to consume either 2,760 or 1,840 milligrams of sodium a day, but otherwise to consume the same diet. Those consuming the lower level of sodium had more than three times the number of hospital readmissions — 30 as compared with 9 in the higher-salt group — and a more than twice as many deaths — 15 as compared with 6 in the higher-salt group.

Another study, published in 2011, followed 28,800 subjects with high blood pressure aged 55 and older for 4.7 years and analyzed their sodium consumption by urinalysis. The researchers reported that the risks of heart attacks, strokes, congestive heart failure and death from heart disease increased significantly for those consuming more than 7,000 milligrams of sodium a day and for those consuming less than 3,000 milligrams of sodium a day.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/15/health/panel-finds-no-benefit-in-sharply-restricting-sodium.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0#h[]

Looks like the range should be between 3,000 and 7,000 mg of sodium a day.

This contradictory advice is one reason why conservatives don't trust scientists who tell them that something is bad for them, until they do another study that says, "nevermind."

[still_one]

4. Thanks. The truth is everyone is different, and just on the basis of osmois and your kidneys too

Na+. Will affect bp

[SheilaT]

3. It is my understanding that sodium

is vital to maintaining blood supply. Pregnant women need to increase their blood supply by about 50% over the course of the pregnancy, and restricting sodium is an especially bad idea at that time.

Personally, I like a lot of things salty and I'm doing just fine.

[still_one]

5. It is required for life, including nerve function, but too much is not good for a lot of people

[eridani]

6. What about salt sensitive people?

Data from people who don't have this problem might swamp out a correlation for a minority population.