Salt reduction and hypertension in China: a concise state-of-the-art review

Hypertension (HTN) and its cardiovascular complications such as stroke and heart failure are a serious public health problem around the world. A growing number of studies confirm that salt plays an important role in the development of HTN. Increasing intake of salt leads to abnormal transport of sodium ions at the cellular level with activation of the sympathetic nervous system and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. Studies have shown that salt restriction can reduce blood pressure (BP) in patients with HTN, especially salt-sensitive HTN. Public health interventions to reduce salt intake, with the goal of decreasing adverse outcomes have been launched in numerous countries. In this review we will summarize the epidemiology of cardiovascular diseases and their risk factors, the relationship between salt and HTN, the effect of salt restriction on HTN and the current situation of prevention and treatment of HTN by salt reduction in China.