Does the awareness of the patient about the amount of daily salt consumption decrease his/her salt intake? [Hastanın günlük ne kadar tuz tükettiğini bilmesi tuz tüketimini azaltır mı?]

In the present study, we investigated the impact of the awareness of the daily salt intake on dietary salt consumption in patients with primary hypertension. One hundred and fifty-four patients (male, 80, and female, 74) treated with the established diagnosis of hypertension, and also followed up after providing information about salt consumption were enrolled in the present study. Urinary sodium was measured in 24-hour urine samples, and the patients were informed about their salt consumption together with their laboratory results. Three months later urinary sodium levels were measured in 24-hour urine samples again. Changes in blood pressure, and salt consumption were compared statistically. Mean age of 154 patients enralled in the study was 48.4±14.9 years. It was observed that the patients had not known their daily salt consumption. Their daily salt intake had been 12.6±4.8 g, while their daily intake dropped to 7.4±3.7 g after control of salt intake with monitorization of urinary sodium. Baseline systolic/diastolic blood pressure (p=0.024 and =0.034, respectively) values decreased, in parallel with reduction in daily salt intake (12.6±4.8 g/day to 7.4±3.7 g/day) (p