You are what you eat: dietary salt intake and renin-angiotensin blockade in diabetic nephropathy.
Interactions between sodium intake, the renin-angiotensin system, and renal and cardiovascular outcomes are incompletely understood. The analysis by Lambers Heerspink et al. shows that angiotensin receptor blockade improves diabetic nephropathy and cardiovascular disease more when dietary sodium intake is low, and suggests possible harm when sodium intake is high. These findings highlight dietary salt as a modifiable cardiovascular and renal risk factor and emphasize the need for detailed mechanistic studies.
Renal Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02120, USA. dcharytan@partners.org
David M
DM
Charytan
John P
JP
Forman
D057911:Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004039:Diet, Sodium-Restricted; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
D057911:Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists