Blood Pressure Levels in Children Affected by Sodium Intake

Blood pressure is regarded as a silent killer and is associated with many life-endangering diseases. Scientists conducted a study for assessing the impact of sodium intake and systolic blood pressure.

High blood pressure and sodium consumption are closely related. High intake of sodium increases your blood pressure significantly.

A recent study published in the journal of Pediatrics 2012, analyzed the association of weight status and consumption of sodium in 6,235 children in the United States. The study also assessed the implications of these two important factors on the blood pressure. The researchers noted that girls consumed less sodium than the boys.

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The intake of sodium poses greater risk of high blood pressure than the increasing weight in young people.

It was estimated by the National Centre for Disease Control (CDC) about one-third of American adolescents and children were overweight. High blood pressure or hypertension is responsible for a number of life-threatening ailments such as stroke, heart diseases and other cardiovascular diseases.

The researchers for the first time ever conducted a ‘large-scale examination of the joint effect of weight status and sodium intake on the risk for high blood pressure among more than 6000 children and adolescents aged 8-18 years.’

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The volunteers consumed around 3400mg of sodium daily.

The study highlighted that the children in the United States with high sodium intake were at high risk of soaring blood pressure. This tendency was more pronounced in obese children. It was observed that about 37 percent children were obese and 15 percent children had high blood pressure.

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The scientists advocated that active interventions to increase physical activity and decrease the consumption of sodium can be effective in reducing high blood pressure in adolescents and kids.

As recommended by the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the intake of sodium by the children should be less than 2300mg daily. Americans, Africans and adolescents with chronic kidney disorders, diabetes, high blood pressure should decrease their sodium consumption to 1500 mg daily.

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Often high blood pressure remains undiagnosed as suitable examination is required using ‘an age-appropriate blood pressure cuff size and a comparison of results against standards for a child’s gender, age, and height.’

Reference:

Sodium Intake and Blood Pressure Among US Children and Adolescents; Quanhe Yang et al; PEDIATRICS 2012

Source-Medindia