Sodium intake among U.S. children and teens is as high as
that of adults. The study, “Sodium Intake and Blood Pressure Among US Children and Adolescents,” in the October 2012 issue of Pediatrics (published online
Sept. 17) examined the sodium intake and weight status of 6,235 U.S. children
and teens, and the impact of these two factors on blood pressure. The authors
found that boys tended to consume more sodium than girls. The study concluded
that U.S. children with higher sodium intake had a higher risk for high blood
pressure. This association is even stronger for children who are overweight or
obese. About 37 percent of children in the study were overweight or obese and 15
percent had elevated or high blood pressure. Researchers suggest that
interventions to reduce sodium intake and increase physical activity may help
reduce the prevalence of elevated and high blood pressure in children and
adolescents.
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The American Academy of Pediatrics is
an organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical
subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the
health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and
young adults. For more information, visit www.aap.org.
