No Mortality or CVD Benefit to Very Low Sodium Levels Among Older Adults

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No Mortality or CVD Benefit to Very Low Sodium Levels Among Older Adults

Older individuals who consumed less than 1500 mg of sodium per day did not have a lower risk of cardiovascular events or heart failure at 10 years, nor did they have a lower risk of dying, compared with individuals who consumed 1500 to 2300 mg per day, according to the results of a new study.

“We didn’t find any benefit,” lead investigator Dr Andreas Kalogeropoulos (Emory University, Atlanta, GA) said about the lowering sodium levels to less than 1500 mg per day, “but having said that, we did not find any harm either. But now, considering the totality of the evidence, it might be okay for older adults to target the more lenient sodium recommendation. 

It’s difficult to target the lower levels, and we don’t have solid data showing any benefit. And there’s also the chance of interaction with other aspects of their diet and comorbidities, especially if they’re taking multiple medications.”

The new study, the latest salvo in the battle over dietary sodium, is published January 19, 2015 in JAMA: Internal Medicine and adds yet more fuel to the debate over restricting sodium levels for the prevention of cardiovascular disease and reducing mortality.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, for example, recommends a maximum daily sodium intake of 2300 mg for the general population and 1500 mg for individuals 51 years of age and older, African Americans, or individuals with hypertension, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease. 

Other organizations, including the prominent American Heart Association (AHA), also support reducing dietary sodium levels but are even more aggressive in their targets, recommending all individuals aim for, at most, 1500 mg of sodium daily.

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