Salt sensitivity, blood chemicals and heart disease risk in 528 people
What it found
In 528 people, those whose blood pressure rose most with salt had different blood chemicals linked to stiffer arteries.
These chemical changes may raise heart disease risk by increasing blood pressure.
What they found
Studies in people
Blood chemicals shifted with salt
Out of 713 blood chemicals measured, 467 changed significantly after the high-salt period in people.
Chemicals differed by salt response
Thirty chemicals changed differently between the low-salt and high-salt periods depending on how sensitive each person was to salt. Eleven other chemicals already differed between groups before the diets started.
Explaining salt sensitivity
Together, these 41 chemicals explained 23% of the differences in how people responded to salt.
Stiffer arteries
People who were more sensitive to salt, along with their specific blood chemical patterns, showed greater stiffness in their arteries.
Pathway to heart disease
Genetic analyses suggested that these salt-related chemicals might raise heart disease risk by first changing blood pressure. The rise in blood pressure appeared to be a result of the chemical changes rather than the cause.
What the authors conclude
- They found that people sensitive to salt carry a different pattern of blood chemicals compared to those who are not.
- They suggest these chemical changes may stiffen arteries and contribute to heart disease.
- The authors say their work helps identify biological targets for understanding salt sensitivity.
How it was done
People whose blood pressure rises sharply when they eat more salt face a higher chance of heart disease. Scientists wanted to know if changes in blood chemicals explain this link.
Researchers followed 528 adults at four centres in China through three diet phases. They measured blood pressure and blood chemicals after 3 days on a normal diet, 10 days on low salt and 10 days on high salt. People were sorted into groups based on how much their blood pressure changed with salt.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This trial lasted only about three weeks, so it cannot show what happens over years of eating different amounts of salt.
- The genetic analyses point to possible causes but cannot prove exactly how these chemicals lead to heart disease in everyday life.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Fuwai Hospital, China; Southern University of Science and Technology, China
The paper
- Title
- Metabolomics signature of blood pressure salt sensitivity and its link to cardiovascular disease: A dietary salt-intervention trial
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Lin Z, Li J, Liu F, et al (2024). Metabolomics signature of blood pressure salt sensitivity and its link to cardiovascular disease: A dietary salt-intervention trial. Science China. Life sciences. doi:10.1007/s11427-023-2507-9PubMed 38739172DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error