Watching your salt intake is important for your health, but a new study finds that consuming too little of this mineral could be harmful to heart failure patients. "One of the things that I, as a cardiologist, think about when I'm talking to my patients is that changing their diet may change the number of times they are hospitalized or the frequency with which they are hospitalized, as well as the mortality."
Researchers found that restricting dietary sodium intake below the recommended maximum of 2.3 g per day has no benefit and could even increase the risk of death in patients with heart failure. Dr. Katie Burl, a member of the American College of Cardiology, says the important information is really in the details, so the key question is: "Which patients is this most applicable to? She emphasizes that moving forward, we need to ensure that the right patients get the right sodium restrictions."
The study didn’t find a difference in hospitalization rates, but it did find a difference in mortality. Patients who had a target of less than 2.5 grams of salt a day were 80% more likely to die than those whose target was 2.5 grams a day or higher. "Dr. Burl highlights that it’s crucial to explain what this means, including which foods contain sodium and how to calculate sodium in your day-to-day diet, as these concepts are not always common sense."
Clinicians can help manage patients' diets to ensure they consume a safe level of sodium. "Not only should cardiologists and cardiology providers guide patients, but working with nutritionists can also help log daily sodium intake and keep a food diary." Experts say that while cutting out salt is still beneficial for heart patients, how much to cut out is still up for debate.
