Salty Diet Raises Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases in Type 2 Diabetes Patients

Diet high in salty food can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases in people with Type 2 diabetes, a new research shows.

The nationwide cohort study surveyed participants in the Japan Diabetes Complications Study. All were aged between 40 and 70 and were diagnosed with diabetes. Participants were identified at 59 outpatient centres and universities across Japan.

A total of 1,588 individual participated in the study. They provided information about their diets, including sodium intake. The research team examined data on cardiovascular complications participants experienced over 8 years.

The participants were divided into four groups based on their sodium intake. The study result showed that people who consumed an average of 5.9 grams of sodium daily had double the risk of developing cardiovascular disease compared to those who ate, on average, 2.8 grams of sodium every day.

The effects of a high-sodium diet were worsened by poor blood sugar control.

"The study's findings provide clear scientific evidence supporting low-sodium diets to reduce the rate of heart disease among people with diabetes," study's first author, Chika Horikawa, of the University of Niigata Prefecture in Niigata, Japan, said in a press release.

"Although many guidelines recommend people with diabetes reduce their salt intake to lower the risk of complications, this study is among the first large longitudinal studies to demonstrate the benefits of a low-sodium diet in this population," said Horikawa.

"To reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, it is important for people who have Type 2 diabetes to improve their blood sugar control as well as watch their diet," Horikawa said.

"Our findings demonstrate that restricting salt in the diet could help prevent dangerous complications from diabetes," Horikawa said.

The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism