Changes in plasma lipids and uric acid with sodium loading and sodium depletion in patients with essential hypertension.

The short-term effects of manipulating dietary salt intake on plasma levels of cholesterol, lipoproteins and uric acid were studied in two groups of patient with essential hypertension. With dietary salt restriction in 8 patients (10 g to 2 g salt/day for five days), plasma total cholesterol, esterified cholesterol, beta-lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein and uric acid rose significantly. With salt repletion (2 g salt/day to 20 g/day for five days) in 17 patients, plasma total cholesterol, esterified cholesterol, beta-lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein and uric acid fell significantly. Total/HDL cholesterol ratio increased significantly with salt restriction and decreased significantly with repletion. However, very low density lipoprotein, HDL-cholesterol, triglyceride, phospholipid, chylomicron and non-esterified fatty acid were not influenced by the changes in salt intake. These results indicate that the severe restriction of dietary salt raises plasma cholesterol and uric acid levels in patients with essential hypertension in the short term.