SODIUM AND LEFT-VENTRICULAR HYPERTROPHY I N HYPERTENSION

Dietary sodium is an environmental factor capable of amplifying or lim iting the consequences of hypertension on the heart. In a given popula tion of hypertensive subjects, recent clinical trials have shown a pos itive relationship between sodium intake and the degree of left ventri cular hypertrophy, independently of the value of blood pressure and bo dy weight. In addition, dietary sodium could play a role in modulating the myocardial response to a decrease in blood pressure by antihypert ensive therapy. The logical consequence of these observations is to tr y and prove the possible advantages of restricting dietary sodium in r educing the blood pressure and reversing left ventricular hypertrophy. With this in mind, the evaluation of dietary sodium excretion is cert ainly an element to take into account in the initial evaluation and al so the follow-up of hypertensive subjects and of the effects of antihy per tensive therapy.