College of Basic Medicine, Zhejiang Key laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 311121, Zhejiang, China.
Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, 126 Wenzhou Road, Hangzhou, 310015, Zhejiang, China.
Sci Rep. 2024 Oct 25;14(1):25363. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-77123-0.
Health concerns about excess dietary salt have traditionally focused on its relationship with hypertension and the increased risk of cognitive impairment. However, research has often overlooked the unique health concerns and physiological differences between men and women, leading to gaps in knowledge, particularly regarding disease prevention and treatment strategies for women. The present study examined aged female rats over 12 weeks, using control, low, and high salt diets to mimic the post-menopausal phase in human females when cardiovascular risks typically increase. Cardiometabolic parameters and cognition were monitored. The findings revealed the impact of varying salt diets on blood lipids, blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) levels and variability, anxiety, and cognition. Specifically, intake of a low-salt diet led to a significant reduction in BP levels but an increase in BP variability starting from the eighth week of the diet onset. Moreover, HR levels and variability were notably higher with the low-salt diet. Aged female rats exhibited increased anxiety on the low-salt diet at the fourth week, but the anxiety began to improve starting from the eighth week. Additionally, a trend suggested that the low salt intake worsened short-term memory while improving long-term memory. Furthermore, plasma lipids decreased significantly in aged female rats on a high-salt diet compared to those on a low-salt diet. The study provides valuable insights into the effects of salt intake on cardiometabolic parameters and cognitive function in aged female rats, highlighting the importance of considering sex-specific dietary guidelines for cardiometabolic and cognitive health.
健康担忧传统上集中在过量的膳食盐与高血压和认知障碍风险增加之间的关系上。然而，研究往往忽略了男性和女性之间独特的健康问题和生理差异，导致知识上的差距，特别是在女性疾病预防和治疗策略方面。本研究在 12 周以上的老年雌性大鼠中进行，使用对照、低盐和高盐饮食来模拟人类女性绝经后阶段，此时心血管风险通常会增加。监测了心脏代谢参数和认知功能。研究结果揭示了不同盐饮食对血脂、血压（BP）和心率（HR）水平和变异性、焦虑和认知的影响。具体来说，摄入低盐饮食会导致 BP 水平显著降低，但从饮食开始的第八周开始，BP 变异性增加。此外，低盐饮食会导致 HR 水平和变异性显著升高。老年雌性大鼠在低盐饮食时第四周表现出焦虑增加，但第八周开始焦虑开始改善。此外，有趋势表明，低盐摄入会恶化短期记忆，同时改善长期记忆。此外，与低盐饮食相比，高盐饮食会使老年雌性大鼠的血浆脂质显著减少。该研究提供了关于盐摄入对老年雌性大鼠心脏代谢参数和认知功能影响的有价值的见解，强调了考虑针对心脏代谢和认知健康的性别特异性饮食指南的重要性。
