Authors: Titze J, Ritz E
For centuries, salt has been regarded as essential to human health. Recent work, however, has provided further evidence that the current dietary intake of salt in Western societies is an important factor in the genesis of essential hypertension and may even partly cause blood pressure-independent target organ damage including renal damage. Accordingly, recent guidelines recommend reduction of daily consumption of salt to 6 g/day. Individuals vary with respect to the increase of blood pressure with increasing salt intake (salt sensitivity); individuals with renal disease are particularly salt sensitive. Salt causes major alterations of renal hemodynamics and accelerates progression. Despite some opinions to the contrary, salt restriction and volume control is pa...