- Academic Editors
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Background: Low-sodium (LS) salt substitution is recognized for its
potential to reduce blood pressure (BP), but most research relies on office BP
measurement (OBPM). There is a lack of data on salt substitution’s effect on
target organs, such as the kidney as measured by the urine albumin-to-creatinine
ratio (UACR), and its impact on inflammatory cytokines, particularly
high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). To evaluate the
effect of LS salt substitution on ambulatory BP measurement (ABPM), kidney
function, and inflammation in middle-aged and elderly hypertensive patients.
Methods: In this 12-month prospective, multi-center, randomized,
double-blind study, 352
hypertensive patients were randomly assigned to
the normal salt (NS) group (n = 176) or the LS
group (n = 176) at a 1:1
ratio. ABPM, fasting blood, and morning first
spot urine samples were obtained at baseline and the endpoint. Results:
Of the 352 patients, 322 completed all follow-up surveys, and 301 underwent ABPM.
In the LS roup, significant reductions were observed in 24-hr systolic BP (–2.3
mmHg), 24-hr diastolic BP (–1.5 mmHg), daytime systolic BP
(–2.6 mmHg), daytime diastolic BP (–1 mmHg), and
nighttime systolic BP (–0.1 mmHg) compared to the NS group (all
p