Why do some people have higher blood pressure?
Intersalt: an international study of electrolyte excretion and blood pressure. Results for 24 hour urinary sodium and potassium excretion. Intersalt Cooperative Research Group.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Populations with the highest salt intake (like North China at 242 mmol/24h) didn’t have the highest average blood pressure.
Common belief: more salt = higher BP everywhere. But this global study found no link between median salt intake and median BP across 52 countries.
Practical Takeaways
Reduce your sodium-potassium ratio by cutting processed foods and adding bananas, spinach, beans, or sweet potatoes to your diet.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Populations with the highest salt intake (like North China at 242 mmol/24h) didn’t have the highest average blood pressure.
Common belief: more salt = higher BP everywhere. But this global study found no link between median salt intake and median BP across 52 countries.
Practical Takeaways
Reduce your sodium-potassium ratio by cutting processed foods and adding bananas, spinach, beans, or sweet potatoes to your diet.
Publication
Journal
British Medical Journal
Year
1988
Authors
G. Scally
Related Content
Claims (6)
People who pee out more potassium tend to have lower blood pressure, at least in adults between 20 and 59—but this isn’t true for everyone everywhere.
People with higher body weight tend to have higher blood pressure, even if they eat a lot or little salt or potassium — it’s not about those minerals, it’s about the weight itself.
People who pee out more salt tend to have higher blood pressure, and their blood pressure tends to rise faster as they get older—but in whole populations, the average blood pressure and how many people have high blood pressure don’t seem to change based on salt levels.
When people pee out more salt than potassium, their blood pressure tends to be higher — it’s like the balance between salt and potassium in your urine tells you something about your blood pressure.
People who drink a lot of alcohol tend to have higher blood pressure, even if they eat lots of salty food or lots of potassium-rich food — the alcohol itself seems to be the link.