Salt and its Relationship with High Blood Pressure

Salt and its Relationship with High Blood Pressure

In an interview with Dr. Banhan Koanankul, a cardiologist and consultant at the Vibhavadi Heart Center, on the topic "Salt and its Relationship with High Blood Pressure" on the Happy & Healthy program aired on FM 102 from 9:30 to 10:00 AM. This interview went live on Saturday, May 23rd, 2009 and its transcripts are available here for everyone to read. Here are some beneficial healthcare tips.

Salt and its impact on high blood pressure

By Dr. Banhan Koanankul, Cardiologist and Consultant at the Vibhavadi Heart Center

Happy & Healthy Radio Program, Saturday, May 23rd, 2009, FM 102 from 9:00 to 10:00 AM.

DJ: How is salt important and related to high blood pressure?

          Professor Banhan: Firstly, we need to understand the characteristics of salt, which is naturally white, with a salty taste. It occurs naturally and dissolves in water, breaking down into silver-colored sodium ions with a positive charge and greenish toxic chlorine ions with a negative charge. Salt is a combination of these two elements. Salt is essential for sustaining life and has much greater significance than we might think in its current applications, with an annual consumption reaching up to 300 million tons. It is used to make soap, dye fabrics, tan leather, bleach paper, preserve food, refrigeration equipment, and melt snow on roads, to name a few. The human body, consisting mostly of water, contains approximately 60% water. Another crucial component, aside from water, is salt, which accounts for about 15% of the body's composition. Sodium plays a role in regulating the water balance within cells and is also vital in facilitating electrical signals between nerve cells, controlling muscle contractions and relaxations. Additionally, it helps metabolize proteins and carbohydrates in the body. Therefore, salt is essential for maintaining life. If there is a lack of salt, the body will become weak and fatigued, and the functioning of the nervous and muscular systems will decline. A normal person requires about 400 milligrams of salt per day, which is replenished through the bloodstream. However, excessive salt consumption can be one of the causes of high blood pressure. If one already has high blood pressure, it is necessary to reduce the amount of salt intake to maintain blood pressure within the normal range.

DJ: How does high blood pressure occur?

         Professor Banhan: Blood pressure, or blood force, is a component that allows the continuous circulation of the heart and blood vessels. The contraction of the heart muscle generates pressure to propel a certain amount of blood from the lower left chamber of the heart into the major arteries. Then, there must be continuous blood pressure to move the blood through the large arteries, aided by the special properties of these arteries that can expand when the heart muscle contracts. The walls of the major arteries bulge to accommodate the volume of blood coming from the heart's contraction. As the heart muscle relaxes, the muscle of the major arteries contracts back to its original state, creating pressure to propel the blood through the smaller arteries throughout the body, nourishing every cell with oxygen from red blood cells. Oxygen is crucial for cell survival, as the absence of oxygen in cells can lead to organ failure and even loss of life.

          The normal range of blood pressure during the heart's contraction/relaxation phase is ideally 120/80 millimeters of mercury. To diagnose high blood pressure, blood pressure must be measured, and if the blood pressure is equal to or higher than 140/90 millimeters of mercury, it falls into the category of high blood pressure. The causes of high blood pressure are divided into two types: known causes, resulting from abnormalities in organs such as the kidneys, adrenal glands, or endocrine system, and another type, which is high blood pressure of unknown origin, accounting for approximately 90% and often associated with risk factors and environmental factors. The major risk factors contributing to high blood pressure include salt, which encompasses not only white salt but also all sources of salt in various forms, such as salty meat, salted fish, fish sauce, soy sauce, and various dipping sauces that contain salt. Currently, obesity is a prevalent condition that leads to insulin resistance, resulting in high blood pressure and diabetes. Additionally, smoking and abnormal lipid levels are also significant risk factors for heart and vascular diseases.

DJ: How dangerous is high blood pressure?

Professor Banhan: High blood pressure, which was previously believed to be merely a condition of the circulatory system, has now been discovered to be a disease that involves molecular changes in genetics, different from other diseases. High blood pressure is related to every organ in the body that requires oxygen, making it a condition that can occur anywhere. Therefore, it is called a complex disease. For example, if the red blood vessels in the brain rupture or the small red blood vessels in the brain burst, it can lead to a sudden stroke. Similarly, if the red blood vessels of the heart rupture, it can cause a sudden heart attack. If the red blood vessels of the kidneys rupture, it can lead to kidney failure. And if the red blood vessels in the legs and feet rupture, that part of the organ will be lost. Generally, symptoms of high blood pressure often start without any noticeable signs or gradually appear as dizziness, headaches, decreased concentration, irritability, stress, and if left untreated, it can escalate to the aforementioned complications, resulting in premature death or a lower quality of life. Although high blood pressure can be treated and prevented, it requires changing behaviors and reducing major risk factors as mentioned earlier, such as increasing physical activity and making proper dietary choices by selecting low cholesterol foods and reducing fatty and fried foods. Additionally, the amount of food consumed (calories) should not exceed the energy requirements of the day to avoid obesity. It is necessary to control weight within the appropriate range by using a simple rule: subtract one hundred from the person's height in centimeters, resulting in the weight that should not be exceeded for males. For females, reduce it by an additional 10%.

The correct principles of exercise are:

1. Exercise continuously without breaks for at least 30 minutes.

2. Exercise regularly every day or at least four days a week.

3. There are two types of exercise: aerobic, which focuses on continuous movement of all organs, increasing the level of exercise until reaching a steady state, and another type that requires generating power by contracting muscles to support exercise, such as weightlifting. Humans have a backbone consisting of a total of 34 joints to be used in all forms of activities and benefit movement, resulting in flexibility and convenience in daily life. Therefore, taking care of these joints to prevent joint diseases requires exercise to ensure their nourishment and training to maintain smooth and obstacle-free movement, allowing a high quality of life in the long run.

To summarize this interview, if salt consumption can be reduced by half, it can help reduce the global mortality rate from stroke and sudden heart muscle death by approximately 2.5 million people per year. Changing behaviors in food choices, regular and continuous exercise, and avoiding smoking, will help you maintain a healthy heart and blood vessels, as well as enhance the quality of life.

"Salt is a part of life. Therefore, if you take care of your salt consumption, your life will be vibrant."