Compliance to a low-salt diet

Community intervention projects, efforts at single centers, and multicenter, prospective, dietary salt-restriction trials suggest that such an intervention is neither easy to achieve nor simple to maintain. Community-wide interventions based on advertisements, pamphlets, posters, radio messages, instructions in schools or other institutions, and cooperation from food suppliers such as butchers and bakers resulted in a slight decrease in salt consumption, mostly in normotensive women. A demonstration project at a single center showed that lowering salt intake long-term by 50% in hypertensive patients was feasible. That study included self-administered, positive-feedback devices to indicate adherence and a role for a household partner in achieving compliance. Multicenter intervention trials also indicate that reducing salt intake in the long term is feasible. However, in all intervention trials the subjects were highly selected, stable, generally married male volunteers. An elaborate training program involving many health care professionals was necessary and recidivism was common. Successful intervention requires specific goals and delegated responsibilities on the part of the health care team, careful assessment of the patient and the risk factors, as well as motivation for behavioral change, a specific plan for implementation, repetitive educational efforts, and a built-in monitoring mechanism.