Sodium and potassium urinary excretion and dietary intake: a cross-sectional analysis in adolescents

Abstract

BackgroundHypertension is the leading cause for heart disease and stroke, for mortality and morbidity worldwide, and a high sodium-to-potassium intake ratio is considered a stronger risk factor for hypertension than sodium alone.ObjectiveThis study aims to evaluate sodium and potassium urinary excretion, and assess the food sources of these nutrients in a sample of Portuguese adolescents.DesignA cross-sectional study with a sample of 250 Portuguese adolescents. Sodium and potassium excretion were measured by one 24-h urinary collection, and the coefficient of creatinine was used to validate completeness of urine collections. Dietary sources of sodium and potassium were assessed using a 24-h dietary recall.ResultsValid urine collections were provided by 200 adolescents (118 girls) with a median age of 14.0 in both sexes (p=0.295). Regarding sodium, the mean urinary excretion was 3,725 mg/day in boys and 3,062 mg/day in girls (p<0.01), and 9.8% of boys and 22% of girls met the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations for sodium intake. Concerning potassium, the mean urinary excretion was 2,237 mg/day in boys and 1,904 mg/day in girls (p<0.01), and 6.1% of boys and 1.7% of girls met the WHO recommendations for potassium intake. Major dietary sources for sodium intake were cereal and cereal products (41%), meat products (16%), and milk and milk products (11%); and for potassium intake, main sources were milk and milk products (21%), meat products (17%), and vegetables (15%).ConclusionsAdolescents had a high-sodium and low-potassium diet, well above the WHO recommendations. Health promotion interventions are needed in order to decrease sodium and increase potassium intake.

Awareness of the role of cardiovascular risk factors and their prevention from the perspective of Tricity adolescents

“…However, there is a common tendency to exceed this limits which is also observed in adolescents [9]. The main sources of sodium in adolescents' diet are cereal and cereal products (41%), followed by meet and milky products, whereas the fast food constitutes 9% of salt source [22]. What might be disturbing is that proportions of students who put extra salt into their meals has not changed significantly over the course of the past 15 years.…”

“…Our study shows that recently students more fre quently identify salt as a CVrisk factor as compared to the year of 2000, but still, the same proportion of them uses additional salt in meals. In a recent survey only 22% of adolescent girls and 9.8% of boys met WHO recommendation on sodium intake (based on the sodium urine excretion) [22].…”

To salt or not to salt?—That is the question in cirrhosis

“…Several studies have proven that this moderate sodium restriction is feasible in the general population; however, constant efforts in education, communication with food producers and monitoring are necessary to achieve this goal . It is indeed difficult to follow these recommendations in the modern world since the average European salt intake is 10 g NaCl per day . Salt intake nowadays in the general population is much higher.…”

“…36 It is indeed difficult to follow these recommendations in the modern world since the average European salt intake is 10 g NaCl per day. 37,38 Salt intake nowadays in the general population is much higher. A review showed that from 1990 to 2010, the salt intake only slightly increased from 10.21 g NaCl to 10.51 g NaCl with large regional variations.…”

Sodium Content in Commonly Consumed Foods and Its Contribution to the Daily Intake

“…Dietary salt intake has increased continuously in recent decades to reach 18 g/person/day in some regions of the world. This is associated with a marked increase in the prevalence of hypertension [1,2]. Batuman (2013) suggests that excess salt consumption may have detrimental effects on cardiovascular health regardless of hypertension [3].…”