DIETARY-SODIUM RESTRICTION DOES NOT PREVENT GESTATIONAL HYPERTENSION - A DUTCH 2-CENTER RANDOMIZED TRIAL

Objective: To study the prophylactic effect of a sodium-restricted die t (20 mmol/day) on the incidence of gestational hypertension. Methods: Two hundred seventy healthy nulliparous pregnant women participated i n a Dutch longitudinal two-center randomized intervention study on the effects of a sodium-restricted diet containing 20 mmol of sodium/day. The diet was used between week 14 of pregnancy and delivery. The cont rol group received no dietary restrictions. Main Outcome Measures: The effects of the diet on the incidence of gestational hypertension; sys tolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressures; birth weight; mat ernal weight gain; and duration of pregnancy were studied. Results: Th e incidence of gestational hypertension was 12.9% in the control group and 13.6% in the low-sodium group (weighted relative risk 1.04, 95% c onfidence interval 0.55-1.99). There were no significant differences b etween the two groups regarding systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressures, birth weight, and duration of pregnancy. Maternal we ight gain in the low-sodium group was significantly lower than in the control group; respectively, 8.8 (-3.6, 23.7) kg and 11.0 (-1.3, 20.8) kg [median (minimum, maximum)]. Conclusions: A low-sodium diet does n ot seem to reduce the incidence of gestational hypertension.