Individuals with CVD Consume More Daily Sodium than Recommended, According to New Data

ACC.24: Adults with a history of CVD consumed more than double the recommended daily sodium amount, reported researchers.

In a new study of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) participants with a history of cardiovascular disease (CVD), only around 10% consumed the daily recommended levels of sodium.1

At an average of consumption of 3000 mg of sodium per day, participant intake was more than double the American Heart Association’s (AHA) recommended daily levels, according to the study presented at the American College of Cardiology’s (ACC) Annual Scientific Sessions, April 6-8, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia.1

“Estimating sodium quantities in a meal can be challenging,” said presenting author Elsie Kodjoe, MD, MPH, internal medicine resident, Piedmont Athens Regional Hospital, Athens, Georgia, in an ACC press release. “Food labels aid in dietary sodium estimation by providing sodium quantities in packaged food. Yet, adhering to a low sodium diet remains challenging even for individuals with cardiovascular disease who have a strong incentive to adhere.”2

For all adults, the AHA recommends a daily sodium intake of less than 2300 mg and 1500 mg per day for persons with CVD, according to the abstract. The investigators were interested in whether socioeconomic status has an impact on intake of sodium among individuals with CVD, an area where they note there are no recent studies.1

For the present study, researchers used data from 3170 adults aged 20 years and older with a history of CVD who participated in NHANES between 2009 and 2018.1

Kodjoe and colleagues used participants’ income-to-poverty ratio (IPR) and self-reported sodium intake as continuous variables in a linear regression analysis to further understand the relationship between the two. An IPR of less than 1 indicated income below the poverty level; a ratio equal to 1 indicated income equal to the poverty level; and a ratio higher than 1 indicated income greater than the poverty level.1

Among the cohort, 61% of participants were aged over 65 years, 56.4% were men, 50.2% were White, 32.1% had an educational level below high school, and 28.9% were overweight. Researchers reported that the average daily calorie intake was 1862 calories, and the average daily sodium intake was 3096 mg.1

Approximately 89% of participants had a daily sodium intake of more than 1500 mg, noted the ACC release.2

The researchers found that the average sodium intake was highest among participants with an IPR of more than 2 (mean intake, 3128.7 mg/day) and participants with a college degree or higher (mean intake, 3236.4 mg/day).1

Investigators observed that although increased IPR was seemingly associated with increased sodium intake (P = .042), after adjusting for age, sex, gender, and education, this association was not statistically significant (P = .9).1

“The relatively small difference in sodium intake suggests that people with cardiovascular disease are not limiting their intake very much compared with the general population and are also consuming more than double what is recommended,” stated Kodjoe. “To make it easier for patients to adhere to dietary guidelines, we need to find more practical ways for the general public to estimate dietary sodium levels or perhaps consider a reduction in the sodium content of the food we consume right from the source.”2

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