Salt sensitivity and cardiovascular risk

Studies show that the excess morbidity and mortality related to hypertensio n are progressive over the whole range of systolic and diastolic blood pres sure. End-organ disease, however, varies markedly between individuals with similar levels of hypertension. A stronger link between salt intake, salt s ensitivity and hypertensive target organ disease is emerging in the literat ure, suggesting that salt sensitivity may be a marker of susceptibility of individuals to hypertension and its complications. This review focuses on s ome of the many reports published in this area within the past year. Curr O pin Nephrol Hypertens 8:199-203. (C) 1999 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.