Salt intake and blood pressure in Iranian children and adolescents: a population-based study

Published in BMC Cardiovascular Disorders on the 2^nd of February 2021, Emamian et al conducted a cross-sectional study to investigate the daily salt intake levels of schoolchildren aged 9-15 years, and its association with high blood pressure in an area with a high prevalence of hypertension (Shahroud, northeast Iran). A subsample of 5,620 schoolchildren provided spot urine samples, and daily sodium and potassium excretions were calculated using the Tanaka equation. The study found the mean daily salt intake was 9.7 g, and after adding 10% to the estimate for sodium loss through sweating and defecation, it was 10.6 g. Mean salt consumption was higher in rural areas (10.8 g) than in urban areas (9.4 g); people with blood pressure higher (10.8 g) than normal blood pressure (9.4 g); and in boys (9.8 g) than girls (9.3 g), and salt consumption was higher with increasing age. The authors concluded that salt reduction education and interventions are needed.

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