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Low-Sodium Diet Does Not Appear Effective for Asthma Control NOTTINGHAM, United Kingdom -- July 15, 2008 -- Following a low-sodium diet does not appear to have any appreciable impact on asthma control, according to a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial published in the July issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Previous studies have suggested a link between low-sodium diets and improved asthma control, but researchers at The University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom, found no evidence that cutting back on sodium helps patients with their symptoms. "Despite the clear benefit of a low-sodium diet on cardiovascular risk factors, there is no therapeutic benefit in the use of a low-sodium diet … on asthma control in our study population," said Zara Pogson, MD, The University of Nottingham. The study, which included nearly 200 patients, compared the effect of changes in bronchial reactivity on asthma patients who followed a strict low-sodium diet. Each patient either received sodium supplements to approximate normal sodium intake of 80 mmol per day, or a placebo, for 6 weeks. Improved clinical control of asthma symptoms were based on a test of asthma activity, measures of lung function, asthma symptoms, and use of asthma medication. They detected no differences in any measures of asthma between both groups. "We observed no difference in the outcome measures related to asthma activity in adults with asthma and bronchial reactivity who adopted a low-sodium diet for 6 weeks compared with those who did not, despite a final difference in daily sodium excretion of 50 mmol," said Dr. Pogson. While past studies have suggested a link between low-sodium diets and improved asthma control, none were as large or tightly controlled as this study, suggesting that their findings may have been artefacts of study design rather than reflective of a true therapeutic benefit. "… A simple measure, such as a decrease in sodium intake, does not result in improvements in asthma control," said Dr. Pogson. "We therefore cannot advise people with asthma to alter their sodium intake to improve control of their asthma, despite the fact that a low-sodium diet improves cardiovascular risk factors." "This study suggests that further dietary research in asthma should be directed to factors other than sodium." SOURCE: The University of Nottingham E-mail this page to a friend or colleague! To print, use this version