A CONSENSUS APPROACH TO ELECTROLYTES AND BLOOD-PRESSURE - COULD WE ALL BE RIGHT

This commentary sets forth the hypothesis that the putative beneficial or detrimental effects of specific electrolytes on blood pressure regulation in fact reflect highly integrated responses to interactions among these cationic and anionic species. In this paradigm, the impact of any given intake of an electrolyte on arterial pressure will be influenced by the concurrent consumption of other electrolytes. Thus, the heterogeneous blood pressure response in humans to isolated manipulations of nutrients such as sodium, calcium, and potassium may be determined, in part, by the adequacy of the dietary intake of other mineral elements. If this hypothesis is validated by continued research in this area, we would have new strategies available to improve blood pressure control in humans. For example, treatment of "NaCl sensitivity" in some humans might be more effectively approached by correcting dietary deficiencies of either potassium or calcium than by restricting dietary NaCl.