Findings from a recent study were presented at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) 2022 Scientific Session in Washington, DC, which was held both physically and digitally. Additionally, The Lancet published them concurrently online.
Sodium is a crucial mineral involved in a variety of vital body processes, such as cellular activity, fluid balance, electrolyte balance, and blood pressure maintenance. These diets are often advised by medical specialists to manage ailments like high blood pressure or heart disease.
Although there are exceptions, daily sodium consumption is typically limited to 2–3 grammes (2,000–3,000 mg). In a recent study of ambulatory heart failure patients, a low-sodium diet was not linked to a decrease in future clinical events. However, the improvement in quality of life was just marginal.
The primary endpoint of the study was the risk of hospitalization or ER visits for cardiovascular reasons or all-cause mortality at 12 months. The study indicated that a strategy to lower dietary sodium consumption to fewer than 1500 mg daily was not more successful than normal care in reducing this risk.
809 patients with chronic heart failure (median age, 67 years) who were receiving well-tolerated, guideline-directed medical care were enrolled in the pragmatic, international, open-label, randomized SODIUM-HF study, which was carried out in six nations (Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and New Zealand). A low-sodium diet or customary care in accordance with regional standards was randomly allocated to them.
To maintain sodium intake below the advised level when following a low-sodium diet, items high in sodium must be restricted or altogether avoided.
Parvathy Sukumaran 
