Ochsner Distinguished Scientist co-authors paper encouraging Americans to reduce sodium intake
NEW ORLEANS - The American Heart Association (AHA) Presidential Advisory Committee recently released a national call to action on sodium consumption. Edward Frohlich, MD, MACP, FACC, Alton Ochsner Distinguished Scientist, was a co-author of "The Importance of Population-Wide Sodium Reduction as a Means to Prevent Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke" which appeared in the January issue of the AHA's journal Circulation. Citing studies over the past 25 years that create a compelling case for the dangers of excessive sodium consumption, the paper recommends that we all-not just those of us with high blood pressure-reduce our daily sodium intake to 1500 mg/day, a significant reduction from the previously recommended 2300 mg/day.
When most people think of the effect of excessive sodium on the body, they think in terms of elevated blood pressure. And most people know that high blood pressure can lead to stroke, coronary heart disease, heart failure, and kidney disease. But here's what most people don't know: Too much sodium-even in people with normal blood pressure-can promote heart failure, kidney failure, and stiffening of the large arteries. So even if your blood pressure is an enviable 120/60 mmHg, excess sodium could still be damaging your body. Independent of its effects on blood pressure, too much sodium adversely affects the heart, kidneys, and blood vessels.
"The new recommendation of 1500 mg/day is about a half-teaspoon of salt," Dr. Frohlich explained. But he pointed out that it's not just the salt you sprinkle on your food at the table and in cooking that contributes to excessive sodium intake. Most processed foods, particularly those with reduced fat and calories, contain high levels of sodium to enhance the flavor. In addition, many common foods that are high in sodium-bread and other baked goods, butter and cheese, cereals, and soups are only a few examples-are so much a part of the American diet that their cumulative consumption significantly contributes to our collective sodium overload.
"People need to start looking at labels," Dr. Frohlich advised. "You also need to look for terms like bicarbonate and citrate, and choose low-sodium alternatives whenever they are available. In restaurants, ask the server to tell the chef not to add salt to your order. "In addition, parents need to start with their children and feed them a low-sodium diet," Dr. Frohlich continued. "It is important to start children on the low-sodium dietary cautions so that the habit and taste for salt are prevented."
Underlying Dr. Frohlich's recommendations is a long and distinguished research career. For 50 years, his research has focused on the physiological mechanisms responsible for the development of hypertension, and he has directed much of his research effort to understanding the relationship of sodium to the increasing morbidity and mortality of hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases.
Drawing on his extensive clinical and research background, Dr. Frohlich can summarize the nation's greatest public health concerns in a single sentence: "Everything that is a major cause of death in this country is attributable to putting things in our mouths that we shouldn't."
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