Do you take care of your heart and limit salt in your diet? Be careful not to overdo it because sodium deficiency can be dangerous for people with heart failure. This is what a new study says. We need sodium as an element. The point is not to give up salt, but to keep it in moderation, - comments prof. Eva Straburzhinskaya-Migay.
Sodium levels that are too low (hyponatremia) are harmful for people with heart failure. In addition, too low a sodium intake may be unfavorable for these patients. This is the conclusion of the publication, which will be presented in New Orleans in early March during the World Congress of Cardiology. Its authors analyzed 9 controlled studies involving 3500 patients. The most important finding: Patients consuming less than 2.3 grams of sodium per day (the equivalent of a teaspoon of salt) do themselves more harm than good, and sodium deficiency increases the risk of death. Does this mean that it is better to oversalt than limit salt?
How Much Salt Can You Eat Safely?
- Sodium restriction is still the recommended treatment for heart failure, but the level of restriction remains controversial. Our research shows that the focus should be on establishing a safe level of sodium intake rather than overrestricting it. emphasizes Dr. Anirud Palicherla. WITH Faculty of Medicine, Creighton University in Omaha, lead author of the publication.
As he admits in an interview with “Wprost”, prof. Ewa Straburzynska-Migai, head of the heart failure department of the 1st Department of Cardiology at the Medical University in Poznań, says that the topic of salt is a complex one. “A lot depends on the context, because we know from various studies that excessive salt intake is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, mainly hypertension and heart failure. That’s why cardiologists usually recommend that patients limit the amount of sodium in their diet, the cardiologist says.
In doing so, he reminds us that although sodium is mostly associated with table salt, we supply it with other foods as well. - I will mention here, first of all, all canned food and preserves, for example, with sodium benzoate. Few people pay attention to this, and it is also a source of sodium, he says. In turn, he advises his patients to remove the salt shakers from the tables and not to add more salt to the dishes than what is added to them during cooking.
The National Institute of Public Health, National Institute of Hygiene, estimates that the average Pole’s diet can contain up to three times more salt than recommended. Half we eat with foods such as bread, meat, ready meals, soups and instant sauces. Speaking of salt, the recommended safe amount is one teaspoon per day (5-6 grams of salt).
Hyponatremia in patients with heart failure
prof. Eva Straburzhinskaya-Migay emphasizes that both excess sodium (hypernatremia) and its deficiency are dangerous for patients. “We have heart failure patients whose sodium levels are actually too low. In most cases, these are minor deviations from the norm and, in principle, then we somehow do not react to this in a special way. But it is not uncommon for patients with severe heart failure to have severe hyponatremia, and this is not necessarily because they eliminate salt from their diet. These patients take diuretics to reduce swelling, and often the problem is that they are overhydrated, have excessive thirst, and if they drink 4-5 liters of water a day, this can seriously disrupt sodium levels, he explains.
What is heart failure?
Simply put, heart failure is a condition in which a diseased heart cannot pump blood properly and supply the body with enough oxygen. There can be many causes of heart failure. These include:
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myocardial infarction,
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hypertension,
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heart valve disease
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congenital diseases,
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alcohol abuse.
- Heart failure is a serious, progressive disease, but modern treatment, supported by good cooperation with the patient and his family, can stop it and even cause a significant improvement, almost its complete disappearance, - says prof. Eva Straburzhinskaya-Migay. The specialist encourages patients and their relatives to rely primarily on reliable and proven sources of knowledge about the disease and its treatment. The Polish Society of Cardiology maintains a website slabeserce.pl dedicated to patients with heart failure - here you can find not only verified information, but also, for example, ask a question in a chat with a specialist.
Source: Wprost
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