Dietary sodium and pulse pressure in normotensive and essential hypertensive subjects.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the influence of sodium intake on the two components of arterial blood pressure [mean blood pressure (MBP) and pulse pressure] and left ventricular mass (LVM) in normotensive subjects and never-treated hypertensive patients.


METHODS
Blood pressure, LVM (M-mode echocardiography) and sodium excretion as an index of dietary sodium were measured in 459 males and 396 females, aged 14-93 years, with elevated (63% of population) or normal blood pressure.


RESULTS
Because pulse pressure decreased with age up to approximately 40 years of age, and increased thereafter, analysis was undertaken separately in 438 young (age < or = 40 years) and 417 middle-aged to elderly subjects. Before age 40 years, only pulse pressure was independently and positively influenced by urinary sodium excretion. After age 40 years, MBP and LVM index but not pulse pressure were positively influenced by urinary sodium excretion. When men and women were analysed separately according to tertiles of urinary sodium excretion, pulse pressure adjusted for MBP and age increased from the first to the third tertile of urinary sodium excretion in males (P < 0.03), but not in females.


CONCLUSIONS
The influence of sodium intake on pulse pressure was found in the younger subjects of both males and females and only in men older than 40 years.
du Cailar
Guilhem
G
Department of Internal Medicine and Hypertension, Lapeyronie Hospital, Montpellier, France. g-du_cailar@chu-montpellier.fr
Mimran
Albert
A
Fesler
Pierre
P
Ribstein
Jean
J
Blacher
Jacques
J
Safar
Michel E
ME
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001794:Blood Pressure; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000652:urine; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012982:Sodium, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000652:urine
D012982:Sodium, Dietary