Effects of DASH and Sodium-Restricted Diets on Blood Pressure in Normotensive Elderly

During the past century, the evidence for the risks imposed on human health by excess salt consumption was compelling. The causal relation between habitual dietary salt intake and blood pressure has been established through experimental, epidemiological, migration, and intervention studies. The aim of the work was to select from persons having normal arterial pressure the salt sensitive ones and using DASH and sodium-restricted diets to set the perspective for the development of preventive measures. Salt sensitivity was assessed in normotensive 54 young and 68 elderly males. Accordingly salt sensitive subjects were divided into two groups in accordance with age. Salt sensitivity was assessed by the difference of mean arterial pressure (MAP) on high (200 mmol/day) vs. low (40 mmol/day) salt diet. Compliance with the diet was confirmed by measurement of 24-hour urinary sodium excretion during the last 2 days of both weeks. As was mentioned, both the DASH diet and DASH diet with lower sodium intake caused mean arterial pressure decrease, but the combination of the DASH diet plus lower sodium intake consistently produced the greatest mean reductions in blood pressure with peak levels in the elderly. Based on our results, we can suggest that in spite of the fact that diet modifications cannot influence the genetic nature of salt sensitivity, it can lower the mean arterial pressure in normotensive salt sensitive individuals, thus creating the possibility of its use for hypertension prevention. © 2011 Bull. Georg. Natl. Acad. Sci.