Loading...

Daily news and top headlines for life science research professionals

FREE Email Newsletter View Sample


New studies reinforce American Heart Association’s stand on limiting sodium

By American Heart Association Friday, November 2, 2024

See today's top life science stories and headlines - Sign up now!

newsvine diigo google
slashdot
Share
Loading...
  • New studies reinforce the American Heart Association’s recommendation to limit daily sodium (salt) intake to less than 1,500 milligrams.
  • Suggestions by some groups that healthy people can consume more sodium are based on incorrect analyses of observational studies and misinterpretations of clinical research.
  • Because most dietary sodium comes from processed and prepared foods, the American Heart Association urges health organizations, the food industry and policy makers to provide people with heart-healthy, low-sodium alternatives.
DALLAS, Nov. 2, 2012 — New studies support limiting daily sodium consumption to less than 1,500 milligrams, according to a new American Heart Association presidential advisory.
 
The advisory, published in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation, is based on a thorough review of recent laboratory, animal, observational and clinical studies that reaffirm the  association’s 2011 advisory that limiting sodium (salt) to less than 1,500 mg per day is linked to a decreased risk of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, including stroke.
 
“Our recommendation is simple in the sense that it applies to the entire U.S. population, not just at-risk groups,” said Nancy Brown, chief executive officer of the American Heart Association. “Americans of all ages, regardless of individual risk factors, can improve their heart health and reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease by restricting their daily consumption of sodium to less than 1,500 milligrams.”
 
Some recent reports have led to confusion and mixed messages about the healthiest levels of daily sodium for all subgroups of the population. 
 
“People should not be swayed by calls for a change in sodium intake recommendations based on findings from recent studies reporting that a reduction in sodium consumption does not improve cardiovascular health,” said Paul K. Whelton, M.D., M.Sc., lead author and Show Chwan Professor of Global Public Health in the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans, La. “Our detailed review of these studies identified serious methodological weaknesses, which limit the value of these reports in setting or revising sodium intake policy.
 
“Our focus should be on finding effective ways to implement, not change, the existing American Heart Association policy on sodium intake.”
 
Reducing sodium intake can help fight high blood pressure, which affects more than 76 million U.S. adults and is a major cause of cardiovascular disease.
 
Yet, most American adults and children consume sodium far in excess of their physiologic needs and guideline recommendations---with an average daily intake more than 3400 mg per day. Only individuals, primarily those with specific, rare disorders, who have been advised by their physicians to do otherwise, should not reduce their sodium intake to 1500 mg/day, but this is difficult in the current environment.  Most of the sodium the public consumes is “hidden” in processed and prepared foods. The American Heart Association advocates improved nutritional labeling of sodium content and stringent limits on sodium in all foods – fresh, processed and prepared -- provided to everyone and in particular in schools, marketed to children and purchased by employers and government programs. 
 
Study authors conclude that a comprehensive approach to cardiovascular health promotion and disease prevention is multifactorial that includes regular physical activity, healthy body weight, managing blood pressure, controlling blood sugar, avoiding tobacco and a healthy diet. Sodium reduction is a very important component of a healthy diet.
 
“An integral component of our campaign to improve the nation’s cardiovascular health by 20 percent by 2020 is a nationwide decrease in sodium consumption,” said Donna Arnett, Ph.D., M.S.P.H., president of the American Heart Association. “It will require a joint effort between health organizations, policy makers and the food industry to achieve this goal by creating an environment conducive to helping all Americans make healthy, low-sodium food choices.”
 
Co-authors are: Lawrence J. Appel, M.D., M.P.H.; Ralph L. Sacco, M.D., M.Sc.; Cheryl A. M. Anderson, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.S.; Elliott M. Antman, M.D.; Norman Campbell, M.D.; Sandra B. Dunbar, R.N., D.S.N.; Edward D. Frohlich, M.D.; John E. Hall, Ph.D.; Mariell Jessup, M.D.; Darwin R. Labarthe, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D.; Graham A. MacGregor, M.B., B.C.H.; Frank M. Sacks, M.D.; Jeremiah Stamler, M.D.; Dorothea K. Vafiadis, M.S.; and Linda V. Van Horn, Ph.D., R.D.
 
Author disclosures are on the manuscript.
 
For the latest heart news, follow us on Twitter: #Heart News 
 
The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association receives funding mostly from individuals. Foundations and corporations donate as well, and fund specific programs and events. Strict policies are enforced to prevent these relationships from influencing the association’s science content. Financial information for the American Heart Association, including a list of contributions from pharmaceutical companies and device manufacturers, is available at www.heart.org/corporatefunding.
 
 
For Media Inquiries: (214) 706-1173
Alexandra Paterson: (214) 706-1345; alexandra.paterson@heart.org
Julie Del Barto (Broadcast): (214) 706-1330; Julie.DelBarto@heart.org
For Public Inquiries: (800) AHA-USA1 (242-8721)

SOURCE

Join the Discussion
Rate Article: Average 0 out of 5
register or log in to comment on this article!

0 Comments

Add Comment

Text Only 2000 character limit

Page 1 of 1

Research Exchange

Live Cell Analysis of Autophagy

Sep 4

Analysis of autophagosome formation using fluorescent cellular imaging and lentiviral biosensors.

Deconstructing 3D Cell Culture

Aug 31

3D culture models offer the potential to significantly reduce drug failure.

Safety Without Sacrifice

Safety Without Sacrifice

Jun 26

Liquid handling ergonomics and performance considerations

ELNs: The Beating Heart of a Scientist’s World

ELNs: The Beating Heart of a Scientist’s World

May 22

As ELNs deliver more benefits to researchers, the cost of changing working practice is outweighed by access to high quality, high context collaboration.

Evaluation of a New Nano-Type UV-Vis Spectrophotometer

Mar 3 2011

Analysis of one- to four-microliter size samples for nucleic acids has become routine in many life science laboratories. However, until now, available instruments require considerable manipulation of the instrument and sample; some require manually recording the data. The user must typically lower and raise the arm manually, then wipe the sample manually from the target after each analysis. And fiberoptics used in some of these instruments are subject to deterioration.

Production of Recombinant Proteins and Monoclonal Antibodies in Hollow Fiber Bioreactors

Jan 25 2011

While well-understood, robust and convenient, classical batch-style 2-D culture on non-porous supports or 3-D suspension culture in other devices are really not very biologically relevant models. Cell culture conditions can affect the quality of the antibody or protein produced.

Selecting Robots for Use in Drug Discovery and Testing

Dec 6 2010

Drug discovery and testing, with their need for speed, repeatability and verification, are ideally suited to benefit from robot automation. It is therefore not surprising that robots have been at the forefront of automation developments in both these areas.

HP Scalable Network Storage Systems for Life Sciences

Sep 13 2010

Life sciences research today is advancing exponentially, each step bringing us closer to the realization of truly personalized medicine–preventive care and treatments designed specifically for each individual. In the near future, PCPGM healthcare researchers expect to be able to use predictive genetic testing to create custom treatment plans for individuals and deliver dramatic improvements over today’s one-size-fits-all approach. But research capabilities are only part of the equation; current storage and operating capacities must also evolve to accommodate ever-expanding amounts of data before the goal of personalized medicine can be realized.

Using the Tecan Genesis Workstation to Automate a Cytometric Bead Array (CBA) Immunoassay

Mar 11 2010

The poster describe the process involved in automating a Cytometric Bead Array (CBA) immunoassay developed to measure relative concentrations of serum antibodies against Tetanus (TT), Sperm Whale Myoglobin (SWM) and Keyhole Limpet Hemocyanin (KLH) in KLH-immunized volunteers.

Ensuring Quality in Assays Performed with Automated Liquid Handlers

Feb 2 2010

The focus of this presentation is to highlight the need of ensuring quality in important assays performed with automated liquid handlers. Nearly all assays performed within a laboratory are volume-dependent. In turn, all concentrations of biological and chemical components in these assays, as well as the associated dilution protocols, are volume-dependent. Because analyte concentration is volume-dependent, an assay’s results might be falsely interpreted if liquid handler variability and inaccuracies are unknown or if the system(s) go unchecked for a long period.

Inkjet System for Protein Crystallography

Feb 1 2010

X-ray crystallography is used routinely by scientists to obtain the three dimensional structure of a biological molecule of interest.Such information can be used to determine how a pharmaceutical interacts with a protein target and what changes might improve functionality. However, the crystallization of macromolecules still remains a serious hindrance in structural determination despite impressive advances in screening methods and technologies.

Attention Deficit & Hyperactivity in a Drosophila Memory Mutant

Attention Deficit & Hyperactivity in a Drosophila Memory Mutant

Nov 9 2009

Action selection is modulated by external stimuli either directly or via memory retrieval. In a constantly changing environment, animals have evolved attention-like processes to effectively filter the incoming sensory stream. These attention-like processes, in turn, are modulated by memory. The neurobiological nature of how attention, action selection and memory are inter-connected is unknown. We describe here new phenotypes of the memory mutant radish in the fruit fly Drosophila.

Red Meat Consumption and Mortality: Results From 2 Prospective Cohort Studies

Mar 16

BACKGROUND: Red meat consumption has been associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases. However, its relationship with mortality remains uncertain. METHODS: We prospectively observed 37 698 men from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1986-2008)...

Structural analysis of eyespots: dynamics of morphogenic signals that govern elemental positions in butterfly wings.

Mar 15

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: To explain eyespot colour-pattern determination in butterfly wings, the induction model has been discussed based on colour-pattern analyses of various butterfly eyespots. However, a detailed structural analysis of eyespots that can serve as...

Prokariotic Cell Collection in Denmark

Nov 6 2009

I would like to know about a prokariotic cell collection in Denmark. Is there a cell bank in this country? I need a Lactobacillus strain for a fermentation assay and this information about the bank is very helpful for me.

Request for Entries

Oct 16 2009

Ask the Experts is your chance to get the answers to questions on applications, materials, methods, processes, and technologies. Email you question to bst_web@advantagemedia.com, and the editors of Bioscience Technology will find an appropriate expert to answer it. Watch this space in the future to see the questions your colleagues are posting.

STAY INFORMED: SUBSCRIBE TO

Magazine and E-mail Newsletters

Loading...
Loading...

Free Life Science Industry
Subscriptions

Magazine

wireless week

Newsletters

newsletters

Sign up now



MULTIMEDIA

Video:

Epigenetics

Aug 30

Hank & his clone Circus Hank explain the power of epigenetics, which studies the factors that determine how much or whether some genes are expressed in your body.

Podcasts:

Futures In Biotech 93: Snyder's Omics

May 17

Host: Marc Pelletier Co-Host: Andre Nantel, Ph.D. The technologies that our guest has developed are playing an important role in changing the world, not like the car, the microwave and the cell phone, but as in Drs. Flox, McCoy, and Crusher. Guest: Dr. Michael Snyder We invite...

Top Stories and Headlines
EVERY DAY!

FREE Email Newsletter

Information: