Persons with hypertension should replace regular salt with potassium-enriched salt, new study says

Potassium-enriched salt should be put on the list of recommendations for patients with hypertension. This is asked by an international group of experts from the US, Australia, Japan, South Africa and India, which published a respective article in the Hypertension journal.

High levels of sodium intake and low levels of potassium intake are widespread, and both factors are associated with increased risk of high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, and early death. But using a salt substitute, where some of the sodium chloride is replaced with potassium chloride, will help solve both problems.

The authors of the new study analyzed 32 hypertension treatment guidelines accepted in various countries. They found out that recommendations for potassium salt use were not found in most papers, despite evidence from high-quality scientific publications.

Most guidelines focus on reducing dietary sodium intake. Many also recommended increasing dietary potassium intake, but only two guidelines—the Chinese and European—noted the benefits of potassium-enriched salt. It consists of 75% sodium chloride and 25% potassium chloride, and it is safe for everyone except people with chronic kidney failure.

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