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Lower dietary intake of sodium decreases blood pressure (BP) in patients with and without hypertension, but the effect varies widely among individuals. Small studies have suggested that sodium restriction is more effective in people with metabolic syndrome than in those without.
Researchers recruited 1881 adults without diabetes (BP, <160/100 mm Hg) from a BP-screening program in rural China; 15% had baseline metabolic syndrome (at least 3 of the following risk factors: BP >130/85 mm Hg, fasting glucose >100 mg/dL, abdominal obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, or low serum HDL cholesterol levels). After 3 days of baseline observation, all participants followed a 3-g–daily sodium diet for 1 week, then switched to an 18-g–daily sodium diet for the …