Influence of Salt Intake on Segmental Lesions of Patients with Ischaemic Heart Disease in Sri Lanka: A Cross-sectional Study

Background: Sodium assists in maintaining body fluid balance. Excess sodium intake increases the risk of ischaemic heart disease (IHD) adding to global and local mortality due to non-communicable diseases. Aim: To determine the salt intake levels of patients having coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and to explain the relationship between salt consumption and atheroma development. This study used an adapted cross-sectional design with 233 patients admitted to Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital with acute heart diseases. Method: Demographic and lifestyle-related data, medical history and food intake data were collected. Salt intake was calculated based on the consumption of salt used per month at household level, salt added to food – including in restaurants. Salt content was determined using web-based applications and food tables. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify variables significantly associated with IHD. Results: In this study, the daily intake of sodium per person was 6,176 mg. This was much higher than WHO’s recommended level of 2,000 mg/day, demonstrating a significant relationship between segmental lesions and sodium intake (p<0.01). The multivariate binary logistic model demonstrated that high salt intake (OR 8.54; 95% CI [4.545–16.734]) and the presence of diabetes (OR 2.23; 95% CI [1.206–4.238]), contributed to the high number of segmental lesions (p<0.01). Conclusion: A high daily intake of sodium increases the risk of atheroma formation in more coronary segments, regardless of age, sex, several known disease conditions and risk factors.