Sodium Intake: Research for the Improvement in Measurement Methods and the Effect of Sodium Intake on Cardiovascular Health

Epidemiological, clinical and animal-experimental evidence shows a direct relationship between dietary sodium intake, blood pressure and cardiovascular event. Diverse questionnaire and 24 hour urinary sodium measurement are used to estimate sodium intake. Complete reflection of eating and cooking habits to the dietary survey method is difficult. Furthermore, the differences of database between countries make it difficult to compare the amount of sodium intake between countries. It is also difficult to consider individual variation of cooking and eating habits. Due to limitations of dietary survey method, WHO recommended 24 hour urinary sodium measurement to estimated sodium intake in the population survey, and many countries are adopting. However, in Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, only dietary survey method has been used.

The present survey study was designed 1) to test the feasibility of 24 hour urinary sodium measurement for the estimation of sodium intake (including percentage of complete 24 hour urine sample collection) in the population based study; 2) to establish feasible method of 24 hour urinary sodium measurement; 3) to compare 24 hour urinary sodium measurement to the dietary survey method; and 4) to estimate the sodium intake by 24 hour urinary sodium measurement in Goyang city general population (aged 20-70 years).