Metabolic Syndrome Sufferers More Sensitive to Salt

February 16, 2009 (New Orleans, Louisiana) — A large population-based dietary intervention study conducted in rural China suggests that metabolic syndrome enhances blood pressure response to sodium so that sufferers are more salt sensitive than those without the syndrome.

"Our research shows that people who have the metabolic syndrome may benefit more from a low-sodium diet to reduce blood pressure," lead author Dr Jing Chen (Tulane University, New Orleans, LA) told heartwire. Chen and colleagues published their findings online February 16, 2009 in theLancet .

They also found that the risk of salt sensitivity rose progressively with increasing numbers of metabolic syndrome risk factors.

In an accompanying comment , Dr Gonghuan Yang (Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China) says the reasons behind this new finding "require further research." Nevertheless, the "policy implications of Chen and coworkers' findings are clear," she says. With an estimated 23 million adults with metabolic syndrome in China, the study "lends support to lifestyle intervention, especially control of salt intake for [such] individuals."

Almost Two-Fold Higher Risk of Salt Sensitivity With Metabolic Syndrome