Prevalence of Undiagnosed Hypertension and Its Associated Factors Among the University Staff

@#Introduction: Hypertension is a public health concern that is associated with heart disease. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of undiagnosed hypertension and its associated factors among the staff in a private university in Selangor, Malaysia. Methods: 100 respondents participated in this cross-sectional study. Blood pressure, Body Mass Index (BMI), percentage body fat (%BF), visceral fat rating (VFR), and waist circumference (WC) were measured. Questionnaires regarding knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of salt diet validated from WHO/PAHO and Food Frequency Questionnaires regarding sodium intake validated from IPH Malaysia were administered. Statistical data was analysed using SPSS. Results: The prevalence of undiagnosed hypertension was 24%. About 66% of the participants had excessive sodium intake. The mean sodium intake was 2869.43±930.75mg/d. Simple linear regression showed that BMI. %BF, VFR, and WC were significantly correlated with systolic blood pressure (SBP). Age and sodium intake were not correlated with SBP. After controlling all the variables in multiple linear regression, VFR remained as a significant contributor to SBP (adjusted R2=0.419, F=18.833, p=<0.001). Soy sauce, omelette, fried rice, and nasi lemak were the main contributors of sodium intake. A lack of knowledge on the negative impacts of high salt diet was significantly associated with high dietary sodium intake (>2400mg/d). Conclusion: Our study found a high prevalence of undiagnosed hypertension among the private university staff. The association between VFR and SBP is an important finding for community study. Increased awareness on the excessive salt consumed and its association with health is needed to reduce the sodium intake.

Effect of dietary sodium intake on residual renal function in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis: a prospective study of 33 cases / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the impact of dietary sodium-intake on residual renal function in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD).@*METHODS@#Thirty-three patients on PD with stable dialysis were regularly followed up for 12 months. The daily sodium intake of the patients was calculated based on the 3-day dietary record. Based on the mean daily sodium intake, the patients enrolled were divided into low-salt group (sodium intake≤3.0 g/day, 19 patients) and high-salt group (sodium intake>3.0 g/day, 14 patients). The baseline data of the patients were recorded, and the indicators of residual renal function and peritoneal function were regularly tested. The patients were followed-up at 3-month intervals, and their urine volume, peritoneal ultrafiltration volume and other clinical indicators were recorded and the biochemical indexes were detected to evaluate the changes in the residual renal function and peritoneal function.@*RESULTS@#There was a positive correlation between the total sodium excretion and dietary sodium intake in these patients (=0.536, =0.0013), and sodium excretion by dialysis was positively correlated with their sodium intake (=0.901, =0.000). Regression analysis suggested that the total sodium excretion was correlated with dietary sodium intake (β=0.416, 95% : 0.170-0.666; < 0.0018); sodium excretion by dialysis was associated with dietary sodium intake (β=0.489, 95% : 0.395-0.582; < 0.001). The residual renal function was reduced by 17.48±11.22 L /(w·1.73 m) in the low-salt group, as compared to 30.20±18.30 L /(w·1.73 m) in the high-salt group (=0.032). The reduction in the residual renal function was correlated with sodium intake in the PD patients (=0.409, =0.018). Multivariate regression analysis showed that sodium intake was an independent factor contributing to the reduction of residual renal function (β=14.646, 95% CI 7.426-21.866, < 0.001).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Sodium excretion by PD in patients with continuous ambulatory PD is positively correlated with their dietary sodium intake, which contribute to the decrease of residual renal function. A high dietary sodium intake may accelerate the reduction of residual renal function in these patients.

The association between dietary sodium intake and adiposity, inflammation, and hormone markers: A preliminary study / 한국영양학회지

PURPOSE: Excess intake of sodium is a major diet-related risk factor for human diseases including hypertension and cancer as well as obesity and inflammation. However, findings are still controversial, and evidence is lacking in Koreans. Therefore, for better understanding of the role of dietary sodium intake in disease etiology, this study investigated the effects of dietary sodium intake on adiposity, inflammation, and hormones in Koreans. METHODS: A total of 80 males and females joined the study. The general characteristics and dietary intake data were investigated by trained interviewers using a questionnaire and 24-h dietary recall, respectively. For the markers of adiposity, body weight, body mass index, percent of body fat, visceral fat area, and waist and hip circumference were measured. For the inflammation and hormone markers, leptin, adiponectin, insulin, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-6 were also analyzed. RESULTS: Multivariate linear regression analyses suggested that dietary sodium intake was not associated with adiposity. However, dietary sodium showed a significant association with insulin level: Plasma insulin concentration increased with sodium intake independent of other dietary intake or percent of body fat (β = 0.296, adjusted r² = 0.276, p < 0.01). Other markers for inflammation and hormonal responses were not associated with dietary sodium intake. CONCLUSION: Findings suggested that dietary sodium intake may be a critical modifying factor in the level of plasma insulin. However, it showed a limited effect on obesity and other inflammation markers and hormone levels. These findings should be confirmed in larger, well-designed investigations.

High Dietary Sodium Intake Assessed by 24-hour Urine Specimen Increase Urinary Calcium Excretion and Bone Resorption Marker

BACKGROUND: The average dietary sodium intake of Koreans is 2.6 times higher than the World Health Organization's recommended amount. The effect of a diet high in sodium on the skeletal system, especially osteoporosis, has not previously been examined in Korean postmenopausal women with low bone mass. We assessed the daily sodium intake, and determined the impact of sodium intake on urinary calcium excretion and bone resorption marker. METHODS: A retrospective review of medical records was performed for 86 postmenopausal subjects who were initially diagnosed with osteopenia or osteoporosis at the health promotion center. They were subsequently referred to the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism between 2010 and 2013. All subjects completed a modified food frequency questionnaire. Twenty-four hour urine collection for sodium, calcium and creatinine excretion, and serum C-terminal telopeptides of type I collagen (CTX-I) were also obtained. RESULTS: The average amount of daily sodium and calcium intake were 3,466 mg and 813 mg, respectively. Average dietary sodium intake and 24-hour urinary sodium excretion showed significant positive linear correlation (r=0.29, P=0.006). There was also a significant positive linear correlation between 24-hour urine sodium and calcium excretion (r=0.42, P<0.001); CTX-I and 24-hour urinary calcium excretion (r=0.29, P=0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Excessive sodium intake assessed by 24-hour urine specimen is associated with high calcium excretion in urine. High calcium excretion is also related to increasing bone resorption marker.

Dietary sodium intake in young Korean adults and its relationship with eating frequency and taste preference

Dietary sodium intake is considered one of the major causal factors for hypertension. Thus, to control the increase of blood pressure and reduce the risk of hypertension-related clinical complications, a reduction in sodium intake is recommended. The present study aimed at determining the association of dietary sodium intake with meal and snack frequency, snacking time, and taste preference in Korean young adults aged 20-26 years, using a 125-item dish-frequency questionnaire. The mean dietary sodium intakes of men and women were 270.6 mmol/day and 213.1 mmol/day, which were approximately 310% and 245% of the daily sodium intake goal for Korean men and women, respectively. Dietary sodium intake was positively correlated with systolic blood pressure in the total group, and BMI in the total and men-only groups. In the total and men-only groups, those who consumed meals more times per day consumed more dietary sodium, but the number of times they consumed snacks was negatively correlated with dietary sodium intake in the total, men-only, and women-only groups. In addition, those who consumed snacks in the evening consumed more sodium than those who did so in the morning in the men-only group. The sodium intake was also positively associated with preference for salty and sweet taste in the total and women-only groups. Such a high intake of sodium in these young subjects shows that a reduction in sodium intake is important for the prevention of hypertension and related diseases in the future.