Salty Drinking Water Linked to Higher Blood Pressure, Especially in Coastal Communities

A systematic review and meta-analysis of 27 observational studies, encompassing over 74,000 participants from 7 countries, indicates that consuming water with higher salinity is associated with increased blood pressure and hypertension risk. The analysis found that higher drinking water salinity was linked to average increases of 3.22 mm Hg in systolic and 2.82 mm Hg in diastolic blood pressure, and a 26% higher odds of hypertension. These associations were particularly significant among coastal populations and in studies published after 2000. The review highlights a need for further research on direct links to coronary heart disease and stroke, and for developing mitigation strategies in climate-vulnerable coastal regions. Source: https://gh.bmj.com/