Harvard Health Blog

For the good of your heart: Keep holding the salt

POSTED July 11, 2016, 9:30 AM
Naomi D. L. Fisher, MD, Contributor

Your doctor has probably told you to cut back on salt, especially if you have high blood pressure. For years we’ve understood that excess salt raises blood pressure and increases deaths from heart disease. The guilty element is sodium, which pairs with chloride to form common salt. So when a recent study reported that low dietary sodium was associated with an increased risk of heart disease and death, controversy was predictable.

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An alarming one in three American adults has high blood pressure. Known medically as hypertension, many people don't even know they have it, because high blood pressure has no symptoms or warning signs. But when elevated blood pressure is accompanied by abnormal cholesterol and blood sugar levels, the damage to your arteries, kidneys, and heart accelerates exponentially. Fortunately, high blood pressure is easy to detect and treat. Sometimes people can keep blood pressure in a healthy range simply by making lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, increasing activity, and eating more healthfully.

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Between 50% and 75% off all prescribed pills are not taken as directed or taken at all. So why aren’t patients taking their medication? Dr. Robert Shmerling answers that question and also provides tips to help you take your prescribed medications.

Controlling Your Blood Pressure

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•	Blood pressure basics
•	Types of hypertension
•	Are you at risk for hypertension?
•	How hypertension damages your health
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•	... and more!