title: Sodium chloride and hypertension.
abstract: The hypothesis that sodium chloride deficiency, and not its overuse, is prime cause of hypertension and arteriosclerosis is presented. In the author's home town--a farflung part of northern China--hypertension is a rare disease and arteriosclerosis is a virtually unknown condition. The average intake of sodium chloride for these people is > 30 g/day compared with the typical sodium chloride intake of 10-12 g per day in the USA. When the 10-12 g salt ingested is mixed with the average daily water intake (2100 ml), 0.47% to 0.57% saline mixture is produced, which is hypotonic to extracellular fluid in salt content. Thus sodium conservation becomes necessary. All the hormones and ions involved in sodium conservation are inducers of hypertension; these include aldosterone, angiotensin 11, glucocorticoids, catecholamine, and vasopression. Plus, potassium waste, induced under the influence of aldosterone excess, participates in the development of hypertension.
authors.forename: Y W
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000450:Aldosterone / Q000502:physiology; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004032:Diet; D005110:Extracellular Space / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D007038:Hypotonic Solutions; D012307:Risk Factors; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D007038:Hypotonic Solutions; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary; D014867:Water; D000450:Aldosterone