Industrially processed food contributes with 75% of total daily salt intake and recent long term trials controlling the actual salt intake by providing all foods and drinks for study participants have shown that the mean blood pressure lowering effect of a 6 gram reduction of salt intake is approximately 6/3 mmHg, i.e. an effect comparable to antihypertensive pharmacological monotherapy. Importantly, whereas most individuals are salt sensitive, the degree of salt sensitivity (the degree of blood pressure reduction following a lowering of salt intake) differs between individuals. A low plasma concentration of renin as well as high plasma concentration of N-terminal atrial natriuretic peptide predict high salt sensitivity in the population and monogenetic forms of hypertension are characterized by extreme salt sensitivity.

This talk will review the evidence that salt intake, genetic variance and certain endocrine factors have important roles in regulating blood pressure and hypertension related cardiovascular complications in humans.