for decades the drumbeat on salt has been that consuming too much can raise blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. for people who already have weakened hearts, the danger was greater, and general recommendations have been to toss the salt shaker.
now, a new randomized clinical trial which followed 806 patients with heart failure at 26 medical centres in canada, the u.s., colombia, chile, mexico and new zealand in which half received nutritional counselling on how to reduce their dietary salt intake, and the other half received usual care (i.e., general dietary advice given in routine clinical practice), found lower sodium intake did not lead to fewer emergency visits, hospitalizations or deaths.
prior to the study, participants consumed an average of 2,217 mg of salt per day, or a little less than a teaspoon. after one year, the usual care group had reduced their intake to an average of 2,072 mg a day, while those who’d received dietary counselling consumed 1,658 mg a day.
the researchers compared death rates from any cause, cardiovascular hospitalization or er visit and found no statistically significant difference.
so, does this mean salt-lovers can shake those shakers with abandon? not a chance. the study, the largest randomized clinical trial to look at sodium reduction and heart failure, revealed that consuming less salt did improve these patients’ symptoms such as swelling, fatigue, coughing, and overall quality of life, using three quality of life assessment tools, as well as the new york heart association
heart failure classification
, a measure of heart failure severity.