Salt-sensitivity in normotensive and hypertensive Nigerians

Document Type

Article

Department

Biomedical Sciences (East Africa)

Abstract

Background: Salt-sensitivity increases the risk for the development of high blood pressure in susceptible persons and also increases the risk for cardiovascular events and mortality.

Objective: The study is to determine the pattern of saltsensitivity among normotensive and hypertensive Nigerians.

Methods: Twenty-eight (28) hypertensive subjects (HT) and twenty-five (25) age-matched normotensive controls (NT) were given 200mmol/day salt as sodium chloride for 5 days after control parameters had been determined. Subjects were regarded as salt-sensitive when change in mean arterial blood pressure (cMABP) between baseline levels and that after salt loading was >5mmHg.

Results: Systolic blood pressure and mean arterial blood pressure but not diastolic blood pressure rose significantly (p < 0.05 and p <0.001 respectively) in NT subjects while all the parameters showed significant increases in hypertensive subjects (SBP p<0.01; DBP p < 0.001; MABP p < 0.0001). More hypertensive subjects (60.7%) were saltsensitive compared with normotensive (52.0%) subjects (p<0.05).

Conclusion: This study has demonstrated pressor responses to acute salt-loading in normotensive and hypertensive Nigerians and salt-sensitivity was higher in hypertensive subjects.

Comments

This work was published before the author joined Aga Khan University.

Publication (Name of Journal)

Nigerian quarterly journal of hospital medicine

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