Salt taste threshold and its relation to blood pressure in normotensive offspring of hypertensive parents amongst indian adolescents.

To study Salt Taste Threshold (STT) and its relation to Blood pressure (BP) in normotensive adolescents, age and BMI matched 60 subjects of 18-20 years were segregated on basis of family history of hypertension, documented risk factor for development of hypertension. Student's unpaired t-test showed that STT and BP values were significantly higher in Hypertensive offspring group than Control. Pearson Chi Square test with 60 mM Nacl as cut-off point showed highly significant association of STT in hypertensive offspring group. A significant positive correlation was found between STT and BP by Pearson correlation analysis. Family history of hypertension is strongly linked to reduced salt taste sensitivity. This reinforces rationale that both conditions may be genetically linked though causal relation cannot be established. STT can be used as significant marker to screen 'salt sensible' subjects that eventually will develop hypertension and can be advised healthy habits early or prophylactically treated.