Salt intake causes B-type natriuretic peptide elevation independently of blood pressure elevation in the general population without hypertension and heart disease

Abstract

Excessive salt intake causes hypertension and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is synthesized and released from the ventricle, and is a surrogate marker reflecting various CVDs. Moreover, when a slight BNP elevation is shown, it leads to a poor prognosis in the general population. However, the relationship between salt intake and BNP levels in the general population remains unclear, especially in those without hypertension and heart diseases. In this study, we recruited 1404 participants without hypertension and electrocardiogram abnormalities, who received regular annual health check-ups in Japan. Plasma BNP levels were measured, and daily salt intake levels were evaluated using urinary samples. In addition, some clinical parameters were obtained, and the data were cross-sectionally analyzed. The median of plasma BNP levels was 10.50 pg/mL, and daily salt intake was 8.50 ± 1.85 g. When dividing participants into quartiles according to daily salt intake, those with the highest daily salt intake revealed the highest plasma BNP levels. Plasma BNP levels were significantly and positively associated with daily salt intake. Moreover, multiple linear regression analyses revealed that plasma BNP levels showed a significant positive association with daily salt intake levels after adjustments. Plasma BNP levels were significantly and positively associated with daily salt intake after adjustment in the general population. Plasma BNP levels may be a surrogate marker reflecting salt-induced heart diseases.

Impact of medical checkup parameters on major adverse cardiovascular events in the general Japanese population

“…Recent studies have suggested that salt intake causes mild BNP elevation (below 30 pg/ml) in the general population [15,20] and that excessive salt intake is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular events [21]. Thus, the mild increase of BNP observed in the present study may at least partially re ect excessive salt intake.…”

Dietary Sodium Reduction Is Best for Reducing Blood Pressure: Controversies in Hypertension

“…13 An observational study of 1404 healthy participants, found that those with the highest dietary sodium intake (>9.62 g/day) had the highest BNP levels (14.70 pg/mL), nearly double the levels of those in the lowest sodium intake group. 14 Moreover, in the DASH-Sodium trial, only sodium reduction lowered NT-proBNP, whereas the potassium-rich DASH diet had no impact on NT-proBNP. 15 These findings suggest that sodium intake is directly linked to downstream sequelae of hypertension and known injury pathways for CVD.…”

Measurement properties of an assay measuring suprathreshold intensity and acceptability for chicken broth containing different amounts of sodium chloride

“…Excessive dietary salt intake is associated with blood pressure elevation, which is also a major risk factor for stroke and other cardiovascular pathologies as well as kidney disease and long-term mortality (Cook et al, 2016;Tagawa et al, 2021). Also, salt intake is associated with B-type natriuretic peptide levels, which may constitute a surrogate marker reflecting salt-induced heart diseases (Ohashi et al, 2021). On the other hand, a reduction in dietary salt intake leads to a considerable reduction in blood pressure, especially in hypertensive patients (He et al, 2013).…”