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Urinary Sodium and Potassium, and Risk of Ischemic and Hemorrhagic Stroke (INTERSTROKE): A Case-Control Study

  • Conor Judge
  • , Martin J. O'Donnell
  • , Graeme J. Hankey
  • , Sumathy Rangarajan
  • , Siu Lim Chin
  • , Purnima Rao-Melacini
  • , John Ferguson
  • , Andrew Smyth
  • , Denis Xavier
  • , Liu Lisheng
  • , Hongye Zhang
  • , Patricio Lopez-Jaramillo
  • , Albertino Damasceno
  • , Peter Langhorne
  • , Annika Rosengren
  • , Antonio L. Dans
  • , Ahmed Elsayed
  • , Alvaro Avezum
  • , Charles Mondo
  • , Danuta Ryglewicz
  • Anna Czlonkowska, Nana Pogosova, Christian Weimar, Rafael Diaz, Khalid Yusoff, Afzalhussein Yusufali, Aytekin Oguz, Xingyu Wang, Fernando Lanas, Okechukwu S. Ogah, Adesola Ogunniyi, Helle K. Iversen, German Malaga, Zvonko Rumboldt, Shahram Oveisgharan, Fawaz Al Hussain, Salim Yusuf
  • National University of Ireland - Galway
  • McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences
  • Wellcome Trust Health Research Board Irish Clinical Academic Training (ICAT)
  • University of Western Australia, School of Medicine and Pharmacology
  • St. John's Medical College and Research Institute
  • National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases
  • Beijing Hypertension League Institute
  • Universidad de Santander
  • Eduardo Mondlane University
  • University of Glasgow
  • Sahlgrenska University Hospital
  • University of the Philippines Manila
  • Alshaab Teaching Hospital
  • Hospital Alemão Oswaldo Cruz
  • Kiruddu National Referral Hospital
  • Military Institute of Aviation Medicine
  • National Medical Research Center of Cardiology of Healthcare Ministry
  • University Hospital Essen
  • Cardiovascular Institute of Rosario
  • Universiti Teknologi MARA
  • Dubai Health Authority
  • Istanbul Medeniyet University
  • Universidad de La Frontera
  • University College Hospital, Ibadan
  • Rigshospitalet
  • University of Split
  • Rush University Medical Center
  • King Saud University

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

16 Scopus citations

Abstract

Although low sodium intake (<2 g/day) and high potassium intake (>3.5 g/day) are proposed as public health interventions to reduce stroke risk, there is uncertainty about the benefit and feasibility of this combined recommendation on prevention of stroke. METHODS: We obtained random urine samples from 9,275 cases of acute first stroke and 9,726 matched controls from 27 countries and estimated the 24-hour sodium and potassium excretion, a surrogate for intake, using the Tanaka formula. Using multivariable conditional logistic regression, we determined the associations of estimated 24-hour urinary sodium and potassium excretion with stroke and its subtypes. RESULTS: Compared with an estimated urinary sodium excretion of 2.8-3.5 g/day (reference), higher (>4.26 g/day) (odds ratio [OR] 1.81; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.65-2.00) and lower (<2.8 g/day) sodium excretion (OR 1.39; 95% CI, 1.26-1.53) were significantly associated with increased risk of stroke. The stroke risk associated with the highest quartile of sodium intake (sodium excretion >4.26 g/day) was significantly greater (P < 0.001) for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) (OR 2.38; 95% CI, 1.93-2.92) than for ischemic stroke (OR 1.67; 95% CI, 1.50-1.87). Urinary potassium was inversely and linearly associated with risk of stroke, and stronger for ischemic stroke than ICH (P = 0.026). In an analysis of combined sodium and potassium excretion, the combination of high potassium intake (>1.58 g/day) and moderate sodium intake (2.8-3.5 g/day) was associated with the lowest risk of stroke. CONCLUSIONS: The association of sodium intake and stroke is J-shaped, with high sodium intake a stronger risk factor for ICH than ischemic stroke. Our data suggest that moderate sodium intake - rather than low sodium intake - combined with high potassium intake may be associated with the lowest risk of stroke and expected to be a more feasible combined dietary target.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)414-425
Number of pages12
JournalAmerican Journal of Hypertension
Volume34
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Apr 2021

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

  1. SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
    SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Keywords

  • blood pressure
  • hypertension
  • intracerebral hemorrhage
  • ischemic stroke
  • potassium
  • sodium
  • stroke

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