At-risk groups for deficiency include individuals with
- Increased sweating after heavy physical activity.
- Persistent vomiting
- Severe diarrhea (diarrhea)
- Reabsorption disorders of the kidney “salt wasting kidney”.
- Polyuria or diuretic abuse
- Hypoaldosteronism
- Losses through the skin, as in extensive skin lesions or cystic fibrosis (high sodium concentrations in sweat)
- Pregnant women and nursing mothers, respectively
According to the data available for the Federal Republic of Germany on the supply situation with sodium, the estimated values for a minimum intake – mainly due to excessive intake of table salt – are significantly exceeded.
Risk groups for relative excess include individuals with
- Impaired excretion via the kidney
- Insufficient water intake (common in the elderly).
- Primary hyperaldosteronism (Conn syndrome) – increased sodium retention as well as potassium excretion due to pathologically increased autonomic aldosterone secretion.
- Renin hypersecretion
- Diabetes insipidus – polyuria resulting from a deficiency of antidiuretic hormone with concomitant inability to concentrate urine.
A long-term high sodium or saline intake leads to.
- Primary hypertension – especially people with a “salt sensitivity”.
- A left ventricular hypertrophy.
- Heart failure in obese individuals
- An increase in the obligatory urine output and thus to the load of the water balance
- An increased risk of kidney damage, especially in people who already have renal dysfunction.
A 100 mmol higher sodium intake – especially in overweight individuals – has been associated with
- 32% higher incidence of apoplexy (stroke frequency).
- 89% higher apoplexy mortality (stroke mortality).
- 44% higher mortality from coronary artery disease (CAD) – disease of the coronary arteries.
- 61% and 39% higher cardiovascular and all-cause mortality, respectively.
