Sodium Intake Levels Not Ideal in Many Elderly Patients
As the debate over dietary salt restriction recommendations continue, a new study finds that a more moderate approach to limiting sodium intake may be appropriate for older patients.
A team led by investigators from Emory University School of Medicine sought to examine the association between dietary sodium intake and mortality, incident cardiovascular disease (CVD), and incident heart failure (HF) in older adults. To do so, the researchers analyzed 10-year follow-up data from 2,642 patients ranging in age from 71 to 80, who participated in a community-based prospective cohort study between April 1, 1997 and July 31, 1998.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
RELATED CONTENT
Excess Sodium Linked To Cardiovascular Death
5000 mg of Daily Sodium OK for Heart
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Investigators assessed dietary sodium intake at baseline, via a food-frequency questionnaire, examining sodium intake as a continuous variable and as a categorical variable at 3 levels: less than 1,500 mg/d (291 participants, or 11%), 1,500 mg to 2,300 mg/d (779 participants, or 29.5%), and greater than 2,300 mg/d (1,572 participants, or 59.5%).
The team found that, after 10 years, 881 participants had died, 572 had developed CVD, and 298 had developed heart failure. Ten-year mortality was not significantly lower in the group receiving 1,500 mg to 2,300 mg/d, in comparison to the other 2 groups. Ultimately, food frequency questionnaire-assessed sodium intake was not associated with 10-year mortality, incident CVD, or incident HF, and consuming greater than 2,300 mg/d of sodium was associated with “non-significantly higher mortality in adjusted models,” according to the authors.
The current CDC guidelines for dietary sodium intake—less than 2,300 mg daily for the generation population, with less than 1,500 mg daily reserved for high-risk groups, including older adults—are “probably the best approach until more data are available,” says Andreas Kalogeropoulos, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine in the division of cardiology at Emory University School of Medicine, and lead author of the study.
“Although our findings do not support the strict sodium restriction recommendation for the general population of older adults—less than 1,500 mg daily—there was no signal of harm either,” says Kalogeropoulos.
However, “a more conservative approach to sodium restriction—that is, targeting less than 2,300 mg per day—might be appropriate” until further research is completed, he says, noting that this study’s findings do not apply to older adults with pre-existing cardiovascular disease or heart failure.
“Patients should not interpret our findings as a ‘license’ to consume more salt. Average dietary salt intake is already too high in most Western or westernized communities, and well above the average reported intake in our study,” he says, adding that “there is no question whether moderating salt intake provides health benefits.”
—Mark McGraw
Reference
Kalogeropoulos A, Georgiopoulou V, et al. Dietary Sodium Content, Mortality, and Risk for Cardiovascular Events in Older Adults: The Health, Aging, and Body Composition (Health ABC) Study. JAMA Intern Med. 2015.