The impact of switching to a low-salt diet can be seen in just one week, and the benefits to health are significant.
About 75 per cent of people showed a median drop of 8mmHg (millimetres of mercury) in systolic blood pressure after they switched from a high- to a low-sodium diet for a week, according to a US study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on Nov 11.
Associate Professor Chin Chee Tang, a senior cardiologist at the National Heart Centre Singapore, said while a drop of 8mmHg might not appear impressive, it is clinically significant and would reduce a person’s risk of getting stroke, heart attack or kidney failure.
Professor Tan Huay Cheem, a senior cardiologist at the National University Heart Centre, Singapore, said: “Do not underestimate this reduction in systolic blood pressure, as a 5mmHg reduction can reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events by about 10 per cent. Translated to a general population, the health impact is tremendous.”
Good blood pressure is defined as a systolic reading of 120mmHg over a diastolic reading of 80mmHg, or 120/80. Singapore defines a normal blood pressure as below 130/85. The systolic reading measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats, and the diastolic reading measures the pressure when the heart rests between beats.
Hypertension, over time, can cause the heart to weaken and result in heart failure. It also increases the risk of stroke and kidney failure.
The study involved 213 people aged 50 to 75 with normal blood pressure (25 per cent), controlled hypertension (20 per cent), uncontrolled hypertension (31 per cent), and untreated hypertension (25 per cent).
This story is from the November 27, 2023 edition of The Straits Times.
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This story is from the November 27, 2023 edition of The Straits Times.
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