Salt-sensitive/insensitive people

Ssalt-sensitive people tend to develop hypertension with an intake of 125 to 250 mmol of Na per day, whereas salt-resistant people may not have a rise in blood pressure with up to 500 irunol of Na per day. Very large amounts of Na (800 mmol/day) lead to hypertension in both salt-sensitive and -insensitive people. It has been estimated that close to 20% of adult Americans lire salt sensitive. African-Americans have a greater incidence of Na sensitivity and hypertension than Americans of European descent. Generally, blood pressure tends to increase with age in salt-sensitive individuals consuming mrrderate or high levels of sodium. The prevalence of hypertension is very low in children and adolescents. The interracial differences in blood pressure that are found in adults arc not found among children (Sinaiko, 1996). 

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