The Study
Intersalt: an international study of electrolyte excretion and blood pressure. Results for 24 hour urinary sodium and potassium excretion. Intersalt Cooperative Research Group.
This study looked at lots of people in different countries and found that those who ate more salt tended to have higher blood pressure — but it didn’t change anyone’s diet to see if that actually caused the change. So we can say salt and blood pressure are linked, but we can’t say salt makes blood pressure go up.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
This study looked at how salt, potassium, weight, and alcohol relate to blood pressure in people around the world.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 542 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — salt and potassium matter for your personal blood pressure, but overall population levels don’t always match up, meaning other factors like weight and alcohol are also very important.
- 2People who ate more salt (higher urine sodium) had higher blood pressure.
- 3People who ate more potassium had slightly lower blood pressure.
- 4Heavier people and heavy drinkers also had higher blood pressure.
- 5But countries with high salt intake didn’t always have higher average blood pressure.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
British Medical Journal
Year
1988
Authors
G. Scally
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.