The role of sodium and potassium in the control of blood pressure.
When sodium intake was increased from 70-200 mmol/day in normotensive volunteers, their blood pressure rose by 6/4 mmHg. In most people over 50 years, blood pressure rose and it also rose in about 15% of younger people. Those who had a rise in blood pressure had a creatinine clearance lower than others when on a reduced sodium intake. In the sodium sensitive group creatinine clearance rose when sodium intake was increased. In the people with a rise in blood pressure there was a fall in plasma volume. Increased sodium intake altered a number of factors that control sodium transport across cell membranes. The changes are complex but suggest that genetically inherited and environmentally caused defects are necessary to allow hypertension to be expressed. Reduction of sodium intake reduced blood pressure in people with mild hypertension. Potassium interacted with sodium to reduce the rise in blood pressure caused by sodium. Sodium intake and blood pressure are linked by many mechanisms. If the intake is excessive for that individual or if there are defective control mechanisms, hypertension will result.
D000367:Age Factors; D001692:Biological Transport / Q000187:drug effects; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D004039:Diet, Sodium-Restricted; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000378:metabolism; D011188:Potassium / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D012964:Sodium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*
D012964:Sodium; D011188:Potassium