title: Excess dietary sodium and inadequate potassium intake by hypertensive patients in Italy: results of the MINISAL-SIIA study program.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the study was to assess the age-specific, sex-specific, and region-specific average sodium and potassium intake and its association with anthropometric characteristics in a sample of the Italian adult hypertensive population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 1232 hypertensive patients were recruited consecutively by 47 centers recognized by the Italian Society of Hypertension. The enrolled participants were on stable antihypertensive treatment. Anthropometric indices, blood pressure, 24-h urinary sodium, and potassium excretion were measured and used as proxy for the average daily sodium and potassium intake.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average sodium intake was 172  mmol (or 10.1  g of salt/day) among men and 138 (or 8.1) among women, with no difference among geographical areas. Over 90% of men and 81% of women had a consumption higher than the recommended standard dietary intake of 5  g/day. The average potassium intake was 63 and 56  mmol, respectively in men and women, again without geographical differences, nearly 92% of men and 95% of women having an intake lower than the recommended intake (100  mmol/day or 3.9  g/day). There was a significant trend to a gradual decrease in sodium intake with age in both sexes (P <0.001). There was also a direct association between BMI and sodium intake in both sexes, this association being independent of age (P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this national sample of the Italian hypertensive population, dietary sodium intake was largely higher and potassium intake much lower than the recommended intakes, and this was true for all geographical areas. Overweight and obese hypertensive patients had particularly high sodium intakes.
authors.affiliation: aDepartment of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Federico II University of Naples Medical School, Naples bDepartment of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia cDepartment of Internal Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa dS.C. Nephrology and Dialysis, Ospedale Martini, Torino, Torino eDepartment of Life, Health, and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila fDepartment of Medicine, Clinica Medica 3, University of Padova, Padova gNephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation Unit and CNR-IBIM, Clinical Epidemiology and Physiopathology of Renal Diseases and Hypertension, Reggio Calabria hDepartment of Internal Medicine and Hypertension Center, San Giuseppe Hospital, University of Milan, Milan iDepartment of Neurological and Psychiatric Sciences, Neurophysiopathology, Hypertension, University of Bari, Bari jDepartment of Clinical Medicine, Cardiovascular and Immunological Sciences, Federico II University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Ferruccio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Galletti
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Agabiti-Rosei
authors.forename: Giampaolo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bernini
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Boero
authors.forename: Giovambattista
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Desideri
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fallo
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mallamaci
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Morganti
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Castellano
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nazzaro
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Trimarco
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Strazzullo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000652:urine; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D017419:Potassium, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012982:Sodium, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D017419:Potassium, Dietary; D012982:Sodium, Dietary