Why hypertensive patients are advised to restrict salt-intake.Has it got direct relation with increased BP?

Answer 1

Salt causes us to retain water. The excess water shows up as extra blood volume. Increased blood volume increases our blood pressure. When your blood volume is high it causes the heart to work harder to pump the extra fluid around the bloodstream. This causes your heart to enlarge over a period of time.

Also having extra volume to pump out of the pumping chambers (ventricles), causes the ventricles to dilate and therefore the system is less efficient. The dilated ventricles have to either pump faster or pump harder to move the extra volume out of it and into the next chamber.

It all becomes a vicious cycle, ultimately increasing your blood pressure, heart rate, and a number of other things you did not inquire about.

I hope this helps.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Yes, you could say there is a direct correlation there. A general rule in the body is water follows salt. There are a number of ways the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system can be stimulated in the body. But, once activated, it causes a chain of reactions to occurs causing the formation of Angiotensin II (a vasoconstrictor) and Aldosterone (causes retention of salt and water in the body (vessels). This vasoconstriction combined with the retention of fluid causes increased hypertension and edema. By restricting salt intake, you limit the amount of salt and water retained. Thus, hypertension can be better controlled. Wikipedia also has an excellent article on this. Hope this helped.

Answer 4

1)To be sweet and and simple the Salt carries water from the intestines to your circulatory system.

2)It retains water in the body.

3) the above 2 factors result in system overload and your heart has to work more, resulting in hypertension.

4) That is why in high blood pressure we have to give diuresis to expel excessive fluid from your body. It is called loop diuresis and sodium is urinated out with sodium (salt contains Sodium Chloride).
Hope you have understood it.

Answer 5

Sodium from your diet is quickly absorbed into the blood. The higher concentration of sodium in the blood causes water to be transferred into the bloodstream by osmosis from the surrounding tissues. This increases the overall volume of blood in the circulatory system, which increases blood pressure.