Salt Pills for Patients With Acute Decompensated Heart Failure?
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Restriction of dietary salt to alleviate or prevent volume overload in patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) is common hospital practice, but without a solid evidence base. A trial testing whether taking salt pills might have benefits for patients with ADHF undergoing intensive diuresis, therefore, may seem a bit counterintuitive. In just such a randomized, placebo-controlled trial, the approach made no difference to weight loss on diuresis, a proxy for volume reduction, or to serum creatinine levels in ADHF patients receiving high-dose intravenous (IV) diuretic therapy.
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@kerin Low-sodium diets can be associated with decreased caloric intake and nutritional quality," Montgomery observed. And observational studies suggest that "patients who are on a low sodium diet can develop increased neurohormonal activation. The kidney is not sensing salt, and so starts ramping up the hormones," which promotes diuretic resistance.