Skip to main content
PMC home page
British Medical Journal logoLink to British Medical Journal
. 1980 Aug 23;281(6239):537–539. doi: 10.1136/bmj.281.6239.537

Sodium and potassium intake and blood pressure.

P Burstyn, D Hornall, C Watchorn
PMCID: PMC1713428  PMID: 7427359

Abstract

Sodium and potassium intakes were increased in normotensive volunteers to assess the effects on their blood pressures. An approximately threefold increase in sodium intake for eight days had no effect on the blood pressures of seven volunteers, while a two-stage increase in potassium intake, by about 40% for eight days and a further 55% for 14 days, had no effect on the blood pressures of 21 volunteers. Renal electrolyte excretions and the blood pressures of all 28 subjects showed no statistically significant correlations between either sodium or potassium excretion and blood pressure. A weak negative correlation was found between the sodium: potassium ratio and systolic pressure. The small reductions in sodium intake and increases in potassium intake that might be achieved through propaganda and changes in food processing are unlikely to lower mean blood pressure in Western societies.

Full text

PDF
537

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Armstrong B., Clarke H., Martin C., Ward W., Norman N., Masarei J. Urinary sodium and blood pressure in vegetarians. Am J Clin Nutr. 1979 Dec;32(12):2472–2476. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/32.12.2472. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Burstyn P. G., Husbands D. R. Fat induced hypertension in rabbits. Effects of dietary fibre on blood pressure and blood lipid concentration. Cardiovasc Res. 1980 Apr;14(4):185–191. doi: 10.1093/cvr/14.4.185. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. CARTER E. R. Bilateral thrombophlebitis after a single dose of ergotamine tartrate for migraine. Br Med J. 1958 Dec 13;2(5110):1452–1453. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.5110.1452. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. DAHL L. K., LOVE R. A. Etiological role of sodium chloride intake in essential hypertension in humans. J Am Med Assoc. 1957 May 25;164(4):397–400. doi: 10.1001/jama.1957.02980040037010. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Dahl L. K. Salt and hypertension. Am J Clin Nutr. 1972 Feb;25(2):231–244. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/25.2.231. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Freis E. D. Salt, volume and the prevention of hypertension. Circulation. 1976 Apr;53(4):589–595. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.53.4.589. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Gros G., Weller J. M., Hoobler S. W. Relationship of sodium and potassium intake to blood pressure. Am J Clin Nutr. 1971 Jun;24(6):605–608. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/24.6.605. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. HAMILTON M., PICKERING G. W., ROBERTS J. A. F., SOWRY G. S. The aetiology of essential hypertension. I. The arterial pressure in the general population. Clin Sci. 1954 Feb;13(1):11–35. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Karvonen M. J., Punsar S. Sodium excretion and blood pressure of West and East Finns. Acta Med Scand. 1977;202(6):501–507. doi: 10.1111/j.0954-6820.1977.tb16872.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Kawasaki T., Delea C. S., Bartter F. C., Smith H. The effect of high-sodium and low-sodium intakes on blood pressure and other related variables in human subjects with idiopathic hypertension. Am J Med. 1978 Feb;64(2):193–198. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(78)90045-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. MENEELY G. R., BALL C. O. Experimental epidemiology of chronic sodium chloride toxicity and the protective effect of potassium chloride. Am J Med. 1958 Nov;25(5):713–725. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(58)90009-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Malhotra S. L. Dietary factors causing hypertension in India. Am J Clin Nutr. 1970 Oct;23(10):1353–1363. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/23.10.1353. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Meneely G. R., Battarbee H. D. High sodium-low potassium environment and hypertension. Am J Cardiol. 1976 Nov 23;38(6):768–785. doi: 10.1016/0002-9149(76)90356-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Mickelsen O., Makdani D., Gill J. L., Frank R. L. Sodium and potassium intakes and excretions of normal men consuming sodium chloride or a 1:1 mixture of sodium and potassium chlorides. Am J Clin Nutr. 1977 Dec;30(12):2033–2040. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/30.12.2033. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Murray R. H., Luft F. C., Bloch R., Weyman A. E. Blood pressure responses to extremes of sodium intake in normal man. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1978 Dec;159(3):432–436. doi: 10.3181/00379727-159-40364. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Parfrey P., Condon K., Wright P. Dietary fibre and blood pressure. Br Med J. 1980 Jan 19;280(6208):182–182. doi: 10.1136/bmj.280.6208.182. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Parijs J., Joossens J. V., Van der Linden L., Verstreken G., Amery A. K. Moderate sodium restriction and diuretics in the treatment of hypertension. Am Heart J. 1973 Jan;85(1):22–34. doi: 10.1016/0002-8703(73)90522-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Perera G. A., Blood D. W. THE RELATIONSHIP OF SODIUM CHLORIDE TO HYPERTENSION. J Clin Invest. 1947 Nov;26(6):1109–1118. doi: 10.1172/JCI101903. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Pietinen P. I., Wong O., Altschul A. M. Electrolyte output, blood pressure, and family history of hypertension. Am J Clin Nutr. 1979 May;32(5):997–1005. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/32.5.997. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. SASAKI N. High blood pressure and the salt intake of the Japanese. Jpn Heart J. 1962 Jul;3:313–324. doi: 10.1536/ihj.3.313. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Schlierf G., Arab L., Schellenberg B., Oster P., Mordasini R., Schmidt-Gayk H., Vogel G. Salt and hypertension: data from the "Heidelberg Study". Am J Clin Nutr. 1980 Apr;33(4):872–875. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/33.4.872. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Tobian L. The relationship of salt to hypertension. Am J Clin Nutr. 1979 Dec;32(12 Suppl):2739–2748. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/32.12.2739. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Williams L. C., Turney J. H., Parsons V. Dietary fibre and blood pressure. Br Med J. 1980 Jan 19;280(6208):181–182. doi: 10.1136/bmj.280.6208.181-b. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Wright A., Burstyn P. G., Gibney M. J. Dietary fibre and blood pressure. Br Med J. 1979 Dec 15;2(6204):1541–1543. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.6204.1541. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Medical Journal are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES