The dietary guidelines for Americans recommend everyone age 2 and up consume less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium each day. Some groups of people should further limit sodium intake to 1,500 milligrams per day, like adults age 51 and older and African Americans. But a new study finds no link between salt intake and mortality risk, or risk for cardiovascular disease and heart failure in elderly people.
"In the older patients there's not as much of a strong signal that you're going to prevent mortality or reduce cardiovascular events simply by modifying their salt intake," explained Cleveland Clinic Cardiologist Dr. Richard Krasuski, who did not take part in the study.
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Emory University researchers studied the effect sodium intake might have on more than 2,600 people between 71 and 80-years old. Participants filled out questionnaires about the types of food they eat. they were then broken into 3 groups: one consumed less than 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day, another 1,500 to 2,300 milligrams per day, and a third took in more than 2,300 milligrams per day.
Results show no association between salt intake and risk of heart disease, heart failure, or death. Researchers say more studies are needed before changing the current daily sodium recommendations for older adults, or the general adult population. Krasuski agrees and says the amount of sodium in your diet is just one piece to a complex puzzle.
"I think we have a lot of data now suggesting that the amount of concentrated sweets we take in, the processed foods, you know, eating whole grains versus eating processed food is probably better for you, regular exercise, there are a lot of things potentially that are helpful, but I think just focusing on salt in your diet probably isn't the whole answer here to preventing heart disease and living longer," said Krasuski.
Complete findings for the study can be found online in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.