Michelle M.Y. Wong

Announcing "Up to Date in the Science of Sodium"

From the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Oshawa, ON, Canada; George Institute for Global Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; George Institute for Global Health India, Hyderabad, India; The George Institute for Global Health, University of Sydney and the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Departments of Preventive & Social Medicine/Human Nutrition, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand; Arbor Research Collaborative for Health, Ann Arbor, MI; Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; and Department of Medicine, Physiology and Pharmacology and Community Health Sciences, O’Brien Institute for Public Health and Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, University of Calgary,Calgary, AB, Canada

The Science of Salt: A Systematic Review of Quality Clinical Salt Outcome Studies June 2014 to May 2015

Studies identified from an updated systematic review (from June 2014 to May 2015) on the impact of dietary salt intake on clinical and population health are reviewed. Randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, and meta‐analyses of these study types on the effect of sodium intake on blood pressure, or any substantive adverse health outcomes were identified from MEDLINE searches and quality indicators were used to select studies that were relevant to clinical and public health. From 6920 studies identified in the literature search, 144 studies were selected for review, of which only three (n=233,680) met inclusion criteria. Between them, the three studies demonstrated a harmful association between excess dietary salt and all‐cause mortality, noncardiovascular and cardiovascular disease mortality, and headache. None of the included studies found harm from lowering dietary salt. The findings of this systematic review are consistent with the large body of research supportive of efforts to reduce population salt intake and congruent with our last annual review from June 2013 to May 2014.

The Science of Salt: A Regularly Updated Systematic Review of the Implementation of Salt Reduction Interventions (June–October 2015)

From the George Institute for Global Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Departments of Preventive & Social Medicine/Human Nutrition, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand; Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Oshawa, ON, Canada; The George Institute for Global Health India, Hyderabad, India; Department of Medicine, Physiology and Pharmacology and Community Health Sciences, O’Brien Institute for Public Health and Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Arbor Research Collaborative for Health, Ann Arbor, MI; Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; and The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia

The science of salt: A regularly updated systematic review of salt and health outcomes (December 2015-March 2016).

The purpose of this review was to identify, summarize, and critically appraise studies on dietary salt relating to health outcomes that were published from December 2015 to March 2016. The search strategy was adapted from a previous systematic review on dietary salt and health. Overall, 13 studies were included in the review: one study assessed cardiovascular events, nine studies assessed prevalence or incidence of blood pressure or hypertension, one study assessed kidney disease, and two studies assessed other health outcomes (obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease). Four studies were selected for detailed appraisal and commentary. One study met the minimum methodologic criteria and found an increased risk associated with lower sodium intake in patients with heart failure. All other studies identified in this review demonstrated positive associations between dietary salt and adverse health outcomes.

The Science of Salt: A Regularly Updated Systematic Review of Salt and Health Outcomes (June and July 2015)

From the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Oshawa, ON, Canada; Arbor Research Collaborative for Health, Ann Arbor, MI; The George Institute for Global Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Department of Medicine; Department of Medicine, Physiology and Pharmacology and Community Health Sciences, O’Brien Institute for Public Health and Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; George Institute for Global Health India, Hyderabad, India; Departments of Preventive & Social Medicine/Human Nutrition, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand; and The George Institute for Global Health, University of Sydney and the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia

The Science of Salt: A Regularly Updated Systematic Review of Salt and Health Outcomes (August to November 2015)

The purpose of this review was to systematically identify, summarize, and critically appraise studies on dietary salt relating to health outcomes that were published from August to November 2015. The search strategy was adapted from a previous systematic review on dietary salt and health. Overall, 15 studies were included in the review: one study assessed cardiovascular events, five studies assessed blood pressure or hypertension incidence, six studies assessed surrogate outcomes for cardiovascular or kidney diseases, and three studies assessed other outcomes (age‐related cataracts, rheumatoid arthritis, and bone mineral density, respectively). Four studies were selected for detailed appraisal and commentary.

More evidence that salt increases blood pressure and risk of kidney disease from the Science of Salt: A regularly updated systematic review of salt and health outcomes (April–July 2016)

The purpose of this review is to identify, summarize, and critically appraise studies on dietary salt and health outcomes that were published from April to July 2016. The search strategy was adapted from a previous systematic review on dietary salt and health. We have revised our criteria for methodological quality and health outcomes, which are applied to select studies for detailed critical appraisals and written commentary. Overall, 28 studies were identified and are summarized in this review. Four of the 28 studies met criteria for methodological quality and health outcomes and five studies underwent detailed critical appraisals and commentary. Three of these studies found adverse effects of salt on health outcomes (chronic kidney disease and blood pressure) and two were neutral (fracture risk/bone mineral density and cognitive impairment).