Therapeutic implications of sodium abnormalities in hypertension.

Abnormalities in cellular sodium transport have been demonstrated in leukocytes and erythrocytes of some patients with essential hypertension. Some patients with essential hypertension retain more sodium on a high-salt diet, despite an accompanying increase in pressure. Some epidemiological studies suggest a relationship between dietary sodium intake and essential hypertension. The biological significance of these findings remains uncertain. There is too little evidence to support dietary sodium restriction as a primary preventive measure in essential hypertension. Restriction of dietary intake of sodium to 80 mmol/day results in a reduction in blood pressure in a minority of patients with essential hypertension.