title: The Salt Step Test: its usage in the diagnosis of salt-sensitive hypertension and in the detection of the salt hypertension threshold.
abstract: The Salt Step Test was devised to characterize the response of the hypertensive patient to dietary salt. The test has three phases: unrestricted salt, to document hypertension and customary salt intake; restricted salt (2 g/day), to identify the salt-sensitive patient; and stepwise increased salt (each step = 1 g/day), to find the level that precipitates hypertension. The Salt Step Test identified that out of 30 well-established adult hypertensives, 13 were salt-sensitive. It also revealed that in each salt-sensitive patient, a distinct level of salt (range 3-16 g/day) precipitated hypertension, i.e., a Salt Hypertension Threshold. Definition of the Salt Hypertension Threshold should be useful in providing specific, individualized guidelines for dietary salt restriction.
authors.affiliation: Blood Pressure Center, Metropolitan Washington, DC.
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Espinel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002712:Chlorides / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012964:Sodium / Q000652:urine; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D002712:Chlorides; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D012964:Sodium