EFFECTS OF CHRONIC EXCESS SALT FEEDING

Abstract

Hypertension was induced in female rats by chronic feeding of sodium-containing salts in excess. The hypertension so induced appeared to be self-sustaining since about 2/3 of the animals failed to show a significant fall in blood pressure after withdrawal of these salts from the diet. Under the conditions of these experiments a lack of response to restriction of dietary sodium does not exclude an etiologic relationship between salt intake and development of hypertension.