title: High-sodium diets in Japanese evacuation centers increase blood pressures of evacuees.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  High blood pressure after a natural disaster is tentatively considered to be due to elevation of sympathetic nerve activity. A volcano in Japan erupted on March 31, 2000, and people living in the vicinity of the volcano were evacuated to safe shelters. We found that many evacuees developed high blood pressure while staying at evacuation centers. The aim of this study was to investigate why their blood pressures stayed elevated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-five evacuees, who were staying evacuation centers for 4 months, were examined for blood pressure, urinary sodium excretion, urinary potassium excretion, and plasma and urinary catecholamines.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Associations were found between systolic blood pressure and sodium excretion (r = 0.311, p < 0.05) and between systolic blood pressure and the ratio of urinary sodium to urinary potassium (r = 0.320, p < 0.05). However, no association was found between blood pressure and plasma and urinary catecholamines (NE, DHPG and MHPG).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High sodium consumption was thought to be an important factor in the elevation of blood pressure of the evacuees after acute phase reactions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Date Red Cross Hospital, Date, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takechi
authors.forename: Reiki
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yoneda
authors.forename: Rie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mizuno
authors.forename: Maiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Machida
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujimoto
authors.forename: Shigeo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kakinoki
authors.forename: Shinjuro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuroshima
authors.forename: Akikazu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nomura
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D005522:Food Services; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009318:Natriuresis; D011188:Potassium / Q000652:urine; D012036:Refugees / Q000523:psychology; D012982:Sodium, Dietary / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D018707:Volcanic Eruptions
chemical_list: D002395:Catecholamines; D012982:Sodium, Dietary; D011188:Potassium