Cutting Salt Intake Does Not Reduce Clinical Events in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure

The evidence base on dietary interventions for heart failure (HF) has been thin, prompting investigators to conduct the SODIUM-HF trial at 26 sites in 6 countries (NCT02012179). They randomized 806 adults with chronic HF (median age, 67 years; 33% women) who were receiving guideline-directed HF treatment to a diet low in sodium (<1500 mg/day) or usual care. The primary composite outcome was cardiovascular-related hospitalization, cardiovascular-related emergency department visit, or all-cause death within 12 months.

Median sodium intake (assessed by self-report) declined from 2286 mg/day to 1658 mg/day in the intervention group and from 2119 mg/day to 2073 mg/day in the usual-care group. At 12 months, the primary outcome, its components, and…