Another twist on hypertension: Lower salt intake

Hypertension affects one in three adults and contributes to one in seven deaths. Barriers include poor adherence to prescribed medications, drug costs, side effects and insufficient physician-patient communication. Ideas:

• Encourage a reduction in salt intake. Clinical trials show if sodium intake is reduced to 2,300 mg/day, about 11 million fewer adults would be hypertensive.
• Educate patients on the amount of salt in packaged, processed and restaurant foods. (Nearly 80% comes from these three sources.)
• Educate patients on importance of weight loss to lower BP. Schedule follow-up appointments for counseling and education until progress is noted.

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