Dietary sodium sources in hypertensive patients

Background: Reducing dietary salt intake is the method recommended by the experts as the non-pharmacological treatment of hypertension. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the amount of dietary sodium intake by hypertensive patients and to analyze the factors affecting sodium intake. The frequency of consumption of dietary products with high sodium content was also analyzed. Material and methods: We recruited for the study 60 patients with uncomplicated chronic hypertension, between 40 and 80 years old. A proprietary questionnaire was used during the study. The first part of the questionnaire included questions about gender, age, body weight, body height. The second part was a questionnaire on the frequency of consumption of sodium-rich products. It included 6 food groups. Another component of the study was a 24-hour dietary recall collected from two working days and one holiday. Analysis of the patient's diet was carried out using ALIANT software. The database was created in Microsoft Excel and statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 28. Results: In the study group, all respondents exceeded the salt intake standards recommended by scientific societies. The amount of sodium intake among men was significantly higher than in women (p = 0.011). There was no correlation between age, body mass index, place of residence or education and daily sodium intake. Among sodium-containing foods, patients most frequently consumed pizza, with 76.67% of respondents consuming it once a month or more often. The most commonly used condiment was table salt, used by 95% of respondents. Conclusions: Patients suffering from uncomplicated hypertension do not achieve the target of dietary sodium restriction to the values recommended in scientific guidelines. As dietary sodium intake standards are exceeded, hence the need for more intensive nutrition education among hypertensive patients