Salt Consumption and Mortality Risk in Cirrhotic Patients: Results From a Cohort Study Publisher Pubmed



Pashayeekhamene F¹ ; Hajimohammadebrahimketabforoush M¹ ; Saberfiroozi M² ; Hatami B³ ; Naseri K⁴ ; Karimi S¹ ; Ahmadzadeh S¹ ; Kord H¹ ; Saadati S¹ ; Hekmatdoost A¹
Source: Journal of Nutritional Science Published:2022

Abstract

Since conducting a long-term randomised clinical trial is not logical and feasible to find the optimum dosage of salt intake in patients with cirrhosis, cohort studies are the best design to assess the long-term effects of dietary salt on the survival of cirrhotic patients. This cohort study aimed to evaluate the association between dietary intake of salt and mortality risk in cirrhotic patients. The present study was designed as a cohort in three referral hospitals in Iran in 2018. One hundred and twenty-one patients aged between 20 and 70 years with established cirrhosis were recruited. Dietary intakes, demographic data and disease severity were evaluated at the baseline. Participants were followed up annually. Crude survival was greater in patients with low-to-moderate salt consumption rather than in those with high consumption, and in non-consumers [34.26 (95% CI 33.04, 35.49) v. 30.41 (95 % CI 27.13, 33.69) v. 32.72 (95 % CI 30.63, 34.80), P = 0.028; log-rank test]. Using the Cox proportional hazard model, it was shown that the risk of mortality in the high-salt consumption category was approximately 126 % higher than that of the reference category (non-consumers) [HR value 2.26, (95 % CI 0.91, 5.63)], while this risk for the low-to-moderate consumption group was about 28 % lower than the reference category [HR value 0.72, (95 % CI 0.26, 1.99), P-trend = 0.04]. In conclusion, a high daily dietary intake of salt might increase the rate of mortality and moderate salt restriction (instead of elimination of salt) decreases the risk of death. © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Nutrition Society.