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Salt intake, measured as 24-hour urine sodium excretion, is likely the rate-limiting factor of stomach cancer mortality at the population level.

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SUMMARY From 1979 through 1984, a randomized epidemiologies] survey inBelgium assessed the dietary intake of sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium using 24-hour food records checked by trained dietitians. Dietary cation intake levels were correlated with blood pressure both hi the total group (4167 men and 3891 women) and hi the group not taking antihypertensive medication (3814 men and 3329 women). Serum sodium, potassium, calcium, and phosphorus were also measured. Multiple regression analysis adjusting for age, body mass index, heart rate, alcohol intake, and total caloric intake revealed a significant positive correlation between sodium intake and blood pressure in the group not treated for hypertension except for diastolic blood pressure hi women. A significant negative correlation was found between dietary calcium intake and diastolk blood pressure hi men and between dietary magnesium intake and systolic blood pressure hi women. No independent effect of dietary potassium Intake on blood pressure could be established. especially stroke, remain a major health problem in nearly all populations throughout the world. Differences in diet and, more specifically, in the intake of salt have been held responsible for differences in blood pressure and cerebrovascular mortality between populations. At the population level, the relationship of dietary cations and their interactions with blood pressure remains complex. This complexity is further enhanced by a scarcity of data. During the Belgian Interuniversity Research on Nutrition and Health (BIRNH) Study, blood pressure was measured and a dietary survey was performed in a randomized population sample in Belgium. This enabled us to study the relationship between dietary cations and blood pressure in a large population group. Subjects and Methods A nutritional survey of men and women aged between 25 and 74 years (mean age, 48 ± 13 years) was carried out from 1979 through 1984 in a randomized Belgian population sample. The goals and details of the study have been published previously 1 and will only be summarized here. In each of the 42 Belgian counties, a randomized population sample was drawn from the voting lists and the selected subjects were invited to participate in a health study concerning the relationship of diet with cardiovascular risk factors and regional mortality. Since the participation rate was low (between 31 and 46% of the selected subjects), an additional 10% random sample of the nonresponders was taken and was shown to be similar to the original group regarding dietary habits standardized for kilocalories. During the survey blood pressure was measured twice with subjects in the sitting position, and the mean of the two measurements was used for calculation. The fifth phase of the Korotkoff sounds was recorded as diastolic pressure. Blood pressure was measured by means of a Hawksley random-zero sphygmomanometer (Lancing, Sussex, UK) after the participant had been interviewed by the dietitian about the dietary questionnaire. In between the two bloo...

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