 The Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG), an independent German scientific institute that evaluates healthcare, has reviewed the evidence.
Here are the highlights.
First, the details.
- 7 reviews, in which the results of between 520 and 3391 participants from a total of 62 studies were analyzed.
And, the results.
- No conclusions on late complications were possible based on the available data.
- A year of lowering salt intake results in a 4 to 8 mmHg drop in systolic blood pressure and 2 to 3 mmHg in diastolic blood pressure.
- This response was not evident in 1 study of longer than 6 months.
- The additional effect of salt restriction in people taking blood pressure-lowering medicine hasn’t been studied.
The bottom line?
The IQWIG report is based on the findings in 7 review articles.
It’s important to also include perhaps the most important finding from a 2007 study, which reported no difference in death rates between patients who were randomly assigned to sodium reduction or no sodium reduction.
8/2/09 21:10 JR