Kids are eating as much salt as adults, and those consuming the highest amounts of sodium have a two or three times greater risk of having high blood pressure as those who consume the least, says a study today.
Researchers with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed diets of 6,235 children, ages 8 to 18, based on dietary recall from the kids themselves or with the help of an adult. The data show children consuming an average of 3,400 milligrams of sodium a day, about the same as adults. Salt intake for kids ranged from 1,300 milligrams to 8,100 milligrams a day.
Government guidelines advise reducing daily sodium intake to less than 2,300 milligrams for most people ages 2 and older, and to 1,500 milligrams for people 51 and older and those of any age who are African-American or have hypertension, diabetes or chronic kidney disease.
For the study, researchers compared salt intake with data on kids' blood pressures. The definition of high blood pressure for kids varies by age, gender and height. Those whose blood pressure is in the 95th percentile and above have high blood pressure. Those in the 90-95th percentile have elevated or pre-high blood pressure.
Other research also has shown a link between high sodium intake and hypertension in kids. Being too heavy also increases risk. Findings published today in the journal Pediatrics:
On average, kids in the top quarter who consumed the highest amount of sodium had double the risk of elevated or high blood pressure as kids in the lowest quarter.
Overweight or obese kids in the top quarter who consumed the highest amount of sodium had 3 times the risk of elevated or high blood pressure as heavy kids in the lowest quarter of sodium consumption.
Having elevated or high blood pressure in childhood increases a person's risk of hypertension during adulthood, says lead author Quanhe Yang, a senior scientist with the CDC. Hypertension is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke.
Several federal agencies, some state and city governments as well as the food industry are working to reduce salt consumption.
"A big message here is that we should be more concerned about the salt intake of our kids," says Stephen Daniels, a spokesman for the American Heart Association.
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