Figure.

The acute and chronic relationship of sodium excretion and blood pressure. During normal sodium intake (horizontal dashed line, arbitrary value of 1), the intersection of the chronic pressure‐natriuresis curve (vertical dashed line) and the sodium intake line defines the set point of blood pressure. The solid line (acute) describes the short‐term blood pressure response to an abrupt increase in sodium intake. As shown in the insert, blood pressure rises transiently, but over the course of days returns to the chronic pressure‐natriuresis line without a change in the set point for blood pressure regulation despite the continuation of the higher sodium intake. Two different trajectories of the restoration of chronic sodium balance are depicted. Curve A represents an individual in whom sodium balance is restored with little change in blood pressure (sodium resistant); the excursion of blood pressure is greater in the individual represented by curve B (sodium sensitive).