The cardiac study in Tanzania: salt intake in the causation and treatment of hypertension

Abstract

The acute effects of varying salt intakes on the level of blood pressure in male normotensive volunteers in Tanzania were investigated. The subjects were kept on a diet supplying about 100 g protein, 85 g fat, and 2700 kcal per day. Daily potassium intake was about 50 mmol. The high salt diet increased urinary sodium excretion to 320 mmol/day while the low salt diet reduced sodium excretion to 52 mmol/day. Within 4-5 days there was a significant difference in mean arterial pressure between subjects on a high and a low salt diet. It is concluded that blood pressure in normotensive Tanzanian blacks is sensitive to alterations in salt intake. Although salt intake in Tanzania is relatively low, salt may be important in the causation of hypertension, and a reduction in salt intake may still have a place in the treatment and prevention of hypertension in Tanzania.