Journal Article

Long term effects of dietary sodium reduction on cardiovascular disease outcomes: observational follow-up of the trials of hypertension prevention (TOHP)

Kumanyika, Shiriki K, Cutler, Jeffrey A, Obarzanek, Eva, Cook, Nancy R, Whelton, Paul K, Rexrode, Kathryn M, Appel, Lawrence J, Buring, Julie E

2007

Overview

Objective To examine the effects of reduction in dietary sodium intake on cardiovascular events using data from two completed randomised trials, TOHP I and TOHP II.Design Long term follow-up assessed 10-15 years after the original trial.Setting 10 clinic sites in 1987-90 (TOHP I) and nine sites in 1990-5 (TOHP II). Central follow-up conducted by post and phone.Participants Adults aged 30-54 years with prehypertension.Intervention Dietary sodium reduction, including comprehensive education and counselling on reducing intake, for 18 months (TOHP I) or 36-48 months (TOHP II).Main outcome measure Cardiovascular disease (myocardial infarction, stroke, coronary revascularisation, or cardiovascular death).Results 744 participants in TOHP I and 2382 in TOHP II were randomised to a sodium reduction intervention or control. Net sodium reductions in the intervention groups were 44 mmol/24 h and 33 mmol/24 h, respectively. Vital status was obtained for all participants and follow-up information on morbidity was obtained from 2415 (77%), with 200 reporting a cardiovascular event. Risk of a cardiovascular event was 25% lower among those in the intervention group (relative risk 0.75, 95% confidence interval 0.57 to 0.99, P=0.04), adjusted for trial, clinic, age, race, and sex, and 30% lower after further adjustment for baseline sodium excretion and weight (0.70, 0.53 to 0.94), with similar results in each trial. In secondary analyses, 67 participants died (0.80, 0.51 to 1.26, P=0.34).Conclusion Sodium reduction, previously shown to lower blood pressure, may also reduce long term risk of cardiovascular events.

• Publisher: British Medical Journal Publishing Group,British Medical Association,BMJ Publishing Group LTD,BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
• Subject: Adult / Age Distribution / Blood pressure / Cardiovascular diseases / Death, Sudden, Cardiac - etiology / Dietary sodium / Excretion / Experimentation / Female / Follow-Up Studies / Health outcomes / Humans / Hypertension / Hypertension - chemically induced / Hypertension - prevention & control / Male / Middle Aged / Mortality / Myocardial Infarction - chemically induced / Myocardial Revascularization / Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Risk Factors / Sex Distribution / Sodium / Sodium Chloride, Dietary - administration & dosage / Sodium Chloride, Dietary - adverse effects / Stroke - chemically induced / Weight loss