Sodium intake, blood pressure and artery health
What it found
High sodium intake is linked to higher blood pressure and stiffer arteries, but very low intake may also carry risks.
The evidence comes from studies in people and in animals.
What they found
Studies in people
Blood pressure and sodium
A large analysis found that modest salt reduction for four or more weeks lowered blood pressure in people with and without high blood pressure, regardless of sex or ethnic group. Larger salt reductions led to larger falls in systolic pressure.
J-shaped risk curve
Several studies following people over time found that both high and very low sodium intakes were linked to worse outcomes, forming a J-shaped curve. This pattern did not depend on blood pressure, aging, diabetes, kidney disease or heart disease.
Salt sensitivity
People vary in how much their blood pressure responds to salt. Those with greater salt sensitivity had higher risks of heart and blood vessel problems, even if their blood pressure was normal.
Vessel function in people
In healthy young people, high salt intake impaired the lining of blood vessels and increased leakage from small vessels. Restricting salt improved small vessel function in middle-aged people with high blood pressure.
Artery stiffness
A meta-analysis found that reducing salt by 5 g per day was linked to a 2.8% reduction in a measure of artery stiffness. Some individual trials found no difference, possibly because they were small or short.
Animal and lab studies
Animal and lab studies
In rats, high salt intake caused loss of small blood vessels and reduced their ability to widen. Other lab studies showed that high salt increased oxidative stress and reduced nitric oxide, which harmed blood vessel function.
What the authors conclude
“A reduction in salt intake can have a favorable effect on the cardiovascular system, inducing a reduction in BP values in hypertensive patients, but also with possible benefits in the vascular function and in the viscoelastic properties of the large arteries.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that reducing salt intake can lower blood pressure in people with high blood pressure and may also benefit blood vessel function and the elastic properties of large arteries.
- They advise that until more data emerge, it might be prudent to recommend salt reduction only in those with high salt intake and high blood pressure.
- They suggest discussing 'inappropriate' rather than 'excessive' salt intake.
How it was done
The authors wanted to review how sodium intake affects blood vessels and how this contributes to high blood pressure.
They reviewed published studies on sodium intake, blood pressure, salt sensitivity, sympathetic nerve activity, blood vessel function and artery stiffness. The studies included people and animals.
What it can’t tell you
- Many of the studies in people followed them over time, so they can show links but not prove that sodium directly causes the outcomes.
- Animal and lab studies cannot show what happens in people.
- The review cannot settle whether very low sodium intake is harmful or beneficial for everyone.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
- Authors work at
- University of Pavia, Italy; University of Parma, Italy; University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy
The paper
- Title
- Sodium Intake and Hypertension
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Grillo A, Salvi L, Coruzzi P, Salvi P, Parati G (2019). Sodium Intake and Hypertension. Nutrients. doi:10.3390/nu11091970Free full textPubMed 31438636DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error