Sodium and High Blood Pressure
Topic Overview
Eating a lot of sodium is linked with high blood pressure and problems in the heart, kidneys, and blood vessels..
Reducing
sodium in the diet can prevent high blood pressure in those at risk for the
disease and can help control high blood pressure. Limiting sodium is part of a heart-healthy eating plan that can help prevent heart disease and stroke.
Try to eat less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium a day.
If you have high blood pressure, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease, if you are African-American, or if you are older than age 50, try to limit the amount of sodium you eat to less than 1,500 mg a day.1
To learn more, see:
Healthy Eating: Eating Less Sodium.- Low-Salt Diets: Eating Out.
References
Citations
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S.
Department of Agriculture (2010). Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010, 7th ed. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing
Office. Also available online:
http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2010.asp.
Other Works Consulted
- Appel LJ, et al. (2011). The importance of population-wide sodium reduction as a means to prevent cardiovascular disease and stroke: A call to action from the American Heart Association. Circulation, 123(10): 1138–1143.
- Whelton PK, et al. (2012). Sodium, blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease: Further evidence supporting the American Heart Association sodium reduction recommendations. Circulation, 126(24): 2880–2889.
Credits
| By |
Healthwise Staff |
| Primary Medical Reviewer |
E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer |
Rhonda O'Brien, MS, RD, CDE - Certified Diabetes Educator |
| Current as of |
March 12, 2014 |
Current as of:
March 12, 2014
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S.
Department of Agriculture (2010). Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010, 7th ed. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing
Office. Also available online:
http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2010.asp.
