Salt substitutes rarely used by US adults with high blood pressure

Key takeaways:

Salt substitutes, which replace sodium with potassium, can help manage BP.

Salt substitute usage was lowest in untreated hypertension and highest in treated and controlled hypertension.

Drawing on 2 decades of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, researchers found that fewer than 8% of U.S. adults with untreated or uncontrolled hypertension reported using salt substitutes.

The study was presented at the American Heart Association’s Hypertension Scientific Sessions.

Salt substitutes, which replace sodium with potassium, can help manage BP. Image: Adobe Stock

“We expected that people with high blood pressure would be more likely to use salt substitutes, but the usage remained low across all subgroups, including those with untreated or uncontro