Effect of Salt Restriction on Renin Activation

The present study is carried out with the subjects who are chosen among the nursing home residents in İzmir. The subjects were randomized to 2 groups and while one of these groups had low salt diet (50mmol), the other group had normal salt diet (250mmol) for 3 weeks. Subjects had normal salt diet in their daily routine life for the following 2 weeks. According to crossover nature of the study, the group that had normal salt diet at the first 3 weeks of study had low salt diet at the last 3 weeks of the study. The other group that had low salt diet had the normal salt diet at the last 3 week of the study.

At the beginning of the study, information such as demographic, family story, medical story, diet habits, concomitant medication and physical measurements (height, weight and waist circumference) were received from the subjects.

24 hour blood pressure of the subjects is measured for four times, before the beginning of diet specific to their groups, at the end of the 3-week diet, before the beginning of the second diet and at the end of their second diet. The subjects were asked for collecting 24-h urine in the same days of blood pressure measurement. Sodium, potassium, urea, creatinin and microalbumin measurements were measured in the collected urine. Blood samples were collected for three times, at the end of the 3-week diet, before the beginning of the second diet and at the end of their second diet. Plasma renin activity and aldosterone levels were measured in the blood samples collected. Aldosterone level was measured in the 24-hour urine in mentioned days.