The relationship between hypertension and salt intake in Turkish population: SALTURK study

Abstract

This population-based epidemiological study was aimed to evaluate the daily salt intake and its relation to blood pressure in a representative group of Turkish population. The enrolled normotensive and hypertensive individuals (n = 1970) completed a questionnaire including demographics, dietary habits, hypertension awareness and drug usage. Blood pressure was measured and to estimate salt consumption, 24-h urine samples were collected. The daily urinary sodium excretion was 308.3 ± 143.1 mmol/day, equal to a salt intake of 18.01 g/day. Salt intake was higher in obese participants, rural residents, participants with lower education levels and elderly. A positive linear correlation between salt intake and systolic and diastolic blood pressures was demonstrated (r = 0.450, p = 0.020; r = 0.406, p = 0.041; respectively), and each 100 mmol/day of salt intake resulted in 5.8 and 3.8 mmHg increase in systolic and diastolic blood pressures, respectively. Salt intake and systolic blood pressure was significantly correlated in normal weight individuals (r = 0.257, p < 0.01). The Turkish population consumes a great amount of salt; salt intake and blood pressure was positively correlated. Efforts in sodium restriction are therefore crucial in the management of hypertension as part of national and global health policies.

Key Words::

• Blood pressure
• body mass index
• epidemiology
• hypertension
• salt intake
• urinary sodium

Acknowledgements

Part of this work was presented at 10th National Congress of Hypertension and Renal Diseases in Antalya, TURKEY at 21–25 May 2009.

The study was sponsored by the Turkish Society of Hypertension and Renal Diseases. The field study, training and control of the field healthcare workers, transportation of the samples to laboratory and data collection were carried out by the OMEGA Contract Research Organization in Turkey. The laboratory studies were carried out by Duzen Laboratories Group, Biological Sciences Research, Development and Production Inc. in Turkey.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.