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(Hypertension. 2007;49:e10.)
© 2007 American Heart Association, Inc.

Letters to the Editor

Salt Intake in Children: Increasing Concerns?

Erasmus MC–Sophia Children’s Hospital, University Medical Center, Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Rotterdam, the Netherlands

Arend Bökenkamp; Joanna A.E. van Wijk

VU University Medical Center, Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

To the Editor:

We read with great interest the article by He and MacGregor¹ concerning the effect of salt intake on blood pressure in children. Their meta-analysis shows that salt reduction in children causes a fall in blood pressure, which may have serious implications.

The authors state that current salt intake in children is largely unknown but is very likely to have increased in the last decades because of a rise in processed food intake. Data on 24-hour urinary sodium excretion, the best marker for sodium intake, have been scarce since the report of De Courcy et al² that described sodium excretion in 17 children aged 4 to 6 years.

At the Department of Pediatric Nephrology of the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam a database with all of the 24-hour urine collections has been maintained since 1992. Using this database, we analyzed the 24-hour urinary sodium excretion at entry in 5- to 10-year-old children in the period 1993–1995 as a marker for sodium intake and compared the results with the period 2003–2005 (Table). Our data show that salt intake has increased significantly during the last 10 years by >50%. Our findings of an increased salt intake in children in combination with the meta-analysis of He and MacGregor¹ show the need for programs aiming at a reduction in salt intake to reduce future cardiovascular disease.

	Acknowledgments

 
Disclosures

None.

	References

Top References

 
1. He FJ, MacGregor GA. Importance of salt in determining blood pressure in children. Meta-analysis of controlled trials. Hypertension. 2006; 48: 861–869.[Abstract/Free Full Text]

2. De Courcy S, Mitchell H, Simmons D, MacGregor GA. Urinary sodium excretion in 4–6 year old children: a cause for concern? BMJ (Clin Res Ed). 1986; 292: 1428–1429.[Free Full Text]

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This Article Extract Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 49/2/e10    most recent 01.HYP.0000254351.05482.40v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Schreuder, M. F. Articles by van Wijk, J. A.E. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Schreuder, M. F. Articles by van Wijk, J. A.E. Pubmed/NCBI databases Substance via MeSH Medline Plus Health Information Dietary Sodium Related Collections Other etiology