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  • Special Issue: Current evidence and perspectives for hypertension management in Asia
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Positive relationships between annual changes in salt intake and plasma B-type natriuretic peptide levels in the general population without hypertension and heart diseases

Hypertension Research volume 45, pages 944–953 (2022)Cite this article

A Comment to this article was published on 18 May 2022

Abstract

Excessive salt intake causes hypertension and heart diseases. B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a surrogate marker of heart disease, and a slightly elevated BNP level is associated with a poor prognosis. Our previous cross-sectional study demonstrated that plasma BNP has a significant positive association with daily salt intake in the general population. However, the relationship between changes in salt intake and changes in plasma BNP remains unknown. We recruited 3051 participants without hypertension or electrocardiogram abnormalities who underwent annual health check-ups for two consecutive years. Clinical parameters, including plasma BNP, were obtained, and daily salt intake was evaluated using urinary samples. Annual changes in these parameters were calculated. The median plasma BNP level was 12.9 pg/mL, and the daily salt intake was 8.73 ± 1.89 g. The annual changes in plasma BNP and daily salt intake were 4.79 ± 36.38% and 2.01 ± 21.80%, respectively. Participants in the highest quartile of annual changes in daily salt intake showed the largest annual changes in plasma BNP. Annual changes in plasma BNP indicated a significant positive association with daily salt intake. Moreover, multiple linear regression analyses revealed that annual changes in plasma BNP showed a significant positive association with daily salt intake after adjustments. Our study showed a significant positive relationship between annual changes in plasma BNP and annual changes in daily salt intake. The suppression of plasma BNP is therefore induced by salt intake restriction. The monitoring of plasma BNP while reducing salt intake may therefore prevent heart diseases and lead to improved prognoses in the general population without heart diseases.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Internal Medicine 1, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, 431-3192, Japan

    Naro Ohashi, Taro Aoki, Takamasa Iwakura, Shinsuke Isobe, Tomoyuki Fujikura & Hideo Yasuda

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, Enshu Hospital, 1-1-1 Chuo, Naka-ku, Hamamatsu, 430-0929, Japan

    Hiroyuki Takase

  3. Blood Purification Unit, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, 431-3192, Japan

    Sayaka Ishigaki & Akihiko Kato

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  1. Naro Ohashi
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  2. Hiroyuki Takase
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Correspondence to Naro Ohashi.

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Ohashi, N., Takase, H., Aoki, T. et al. Positive relationships between annual changes in salt intake and plasma B-type natriuretic peptide levels in the general population without hypertension and heart diseases. Hypertens Res 45, 944–953 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41440-022-00914-3

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