Association between blood pressure and urinary electrolytes in a population of nonurban-dwelling Nigerians

Abstract

Background: Little is known about the association between blood pressure and urinary electrolytes in young adult, nonurban-dwelling, sub-Saharan Africans. This study attempts to provide such data in a Nigerian population. Patients and Methods: Four hundred Nigerians (50% female) aged 19-40 years were studied. Their blood pressures (BPs), anthropometric variables, and overnight urinary sodium, and potassium concentrations (UNaC and UKC respectively) were measured using standard procedures. Associations between measures of BP and the other parameters were examined using appropriate statistical tools.
Results: UNaC was correlated significantly with only diastolic BP (DBP) (r = +0.105, P = 0.037). Similarly, UNaC was significantly associated with DBP and mean BP (MBP) (b = +0.158, P = 0.018 and b = +0.155, P = 0.020, respectively). UKC was not associated with, nor correlated with, any measure of BP. There was no significant mean difference (P > 0.05) between the sexes for measures of BP and urinary electrolytes.
Conclusion: Urinary sodium (but not potassium) concentration was weakly correlated with only DBP, and weakly associated with only DBP and MBP in the studied population. The results support (modestly) the hypothesis that dietary sodium intake may be related to elevated blood pressure.