Diet and arterial hypertension: is the sodium ion alone important?

Hypertension is a widespread phenomenon whose ultimate cause is still unknown. Many factors contribute to this disease, and partially for this reason, hypertension responds to different treatments in different individuals. It is difficult to generalize about therapies for general populations. In particular, the role of electrolytes in hypertension varies widely across individuals. This review focuses its attention on sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium ions in order to investigate whether these electrolytes play a role in the pathogenesis of arterial hypertension and its treatment. Some individuals are especially sensitive to sodium, and changing their intake of dietary sodium may lead to variations in the levels of the other electrolytes. These changes in electrolyte levels can complicate treatments for arterial hypertension in some patients. Copyright 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.