Sodium reduction is enticing, but what is the full recipe?

doi:10.1136/bmj.39204.964306.BE

BMJ 2007;334:967 (12 May), doi:10.1136/bmj.39204.964306.BE

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Reduced salt intake

Sodium reduction is enticing, but what is the full recipe?

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Reading the study of the long term effects of dietary sodiumreduction on a Friday evening, I wondered whether it could helpmy hypertensive patients on Monday morning.¹ Unfortunately not:the prescription for sodium reduction is not usable by my fellowgeneral practitioners: "Individual and weekly group counsellingsessions were offered initially, with less intensive counsellingand support thereafter, specific to sodium reduction."

How do I translate this vague description for my patients? Thoserare clinicians diligent enough to track down reference 23 wouldfind a fuller, but still insufficient, description.² It stillmisses so many details that I (or a dietitian) would need thatI don't know how to replicate it. But there is sufficient detailto show that this form of salt reduction is probably impracticalin primary care.

The accompanying Editor's Choice says, "You might try talkingsalt in your next consultation,"³ but that does not seem . . . [Full text of this article]

Paul P Glasziou, professor of evidence based medicine

University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 8AY

paul.glasziou@dphpc.ox.ac.uk

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