Why salt affects your blood pressure differently than others

In rural Chinese adults, changing salt intake causes predictable changes in blood pressure: most people's systolic blood pressure drops by at least 4 mmHg when they eat less salt, and rises by at least 4 mmHg when they eat more salt, suggesting that sensitivity to dietary sodium is widespread in this population.

In rural China, adults aged 16 and older who follow a low-sodium diet show larger drops in blood pressure if they are women compared to men, with average reductions of 8.1 mmHg systolic and 4.5 mmHg diastolic in women versus 7.0 mmHg and 3.4 mmHg in men.

People in rural China with higher initial blood pressure tend to experience larger drops in blood pressure when they eat less salt and larger increases when they eat more salt, compared to those with normal blood pressure.

In rural China, older adults (54+) experience larger changes in blood pressure when they eat less or more salt compared to younger adults, suggesting that sensitivity to sodium increases with age.

In rural Chinese adults, taking potassium supplements while eating a high-sodium diet is associated with a modest decrease in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The reduction is larger in people who start with higher blood pressure, and there is no difference between men and women.