Clinical variables accompanying salt-sensitive essential hypertension in ethnic Kashmiri population

Abstract

Background: Salt sensitivity is actually a measure of an individual's blood pressure response to salt intake. It has been reported that people who are salt sensitive have high prevalence of hypertension and target organ damage. The link between dietary salt intake and hypertension is well established, and a reduction in salt intake has been shown to lower blood pressure.

Scope: In Kashmir, this achieves significance because of a high incidence of hypertension along with a high salt intake among ethnic Kashmiris.

Design and methods: We analysed clinical variables accompanying salt sensitive hypertension among Kashmiri population in our on-going salt sensitivity study on 770 Kashmiri patients (250 men, 520 women) of age group 18years and above from March 2020 to June 2021. We studied the clinical variables accompanying salt sensitivity and the difference in their blood pressure on. a low salt diet (mean = 2 g/day) vs. their usual salt intake (mean = 11 g/day). To document compliance of salt-restricted diet, we used 24-h urinary NaCl estimation as a surrogate marker for salt intake estimation.

Results: We observed, a huge drop in SBP (-28.9 mmHg), DBP (-17.6 mmHg) and mean arterial pressure (-21.3mmHg) in this cohort of 770 ethnic Kashmiris on a strict salt restricted diet. And that women, urban inhabitants, and nonsmokers are more prone to the risk of developing salt sensitive hypertension. Physical activity had no effect on salt sensitivity.

Conclusion: As per our study, salt restriction has a major role in treatment of Hypertension in Kashmiri Population. More studies need to be focused on this vital area.