Second morning urine method is superior to the casual urine method for estimating daily salt intake in patients with hypertension.

The accuracy of the casual urine (CU) method for estimating daily salt intake was compared with the second morning urine (SMU) method and with 24-h urine collection (24 UC) method as the gold standard. Data were obtained from three previously reported studies, in which we evaluated the daily salt intake by the SMU method. Using SMU samples from 1315 outpatients, the estimated salt intake was lower with the CU method than the SMU method. In inpatients with a daily salt intake of 7, 8 or 18 g, the CU method was applied to SMU specimens. It underestimated salt intake compared with the 24-h collection method whereas the SMU method and 24 UC method gave similar results. In the present study, 24 UC was done and then urine was collected at 0800, 1100, 1400, 1700 and 1900 hours, with a daily salt intake of 6 g in 8 inpatients, 10 g in 11 inpatients or 15 g in 5 inpatients. In comparison with the 24 UC method, the CU method underestimated a high salt intake (15 g) when morning specimens were used and overestimated a low salt intake (6 g) when afternoon specimens were used. The correlation between the CU method and 24 UC method was weaker (R = 0.57) than that between the SMU method and 24 UC method (R = 0.85). In conclusion, the CU method is heavily influenced by the timing of urine collection and by the actual daily salt intake, so the SMU method provides a better estimate of individual salt intake.