Background: Hypertension affects approximately 25% of the adult population worldwide, and its prevalence is predicted to increase by 60% by 2025, when a total of 1.56 billion people may be affected. We carried out this study among pregnant women with an aim to determine the dietary salt (sodium) intake patterns of pregnant Kashmiri females and to see its relationship to blood pressure levels as well as to the risk of pre-eclampsia (pregnancy induced hypertension) during the course of pregnancy.

Methods: It was a Cohort Study which was conducted from March 2012-March 2013, at Lal Ded Hospital, An Associated hospital of Government Medical College, Srinagar. This study was conducted by the Postgraduate department of Physiology, Government. Medical College Srinagar. The participants enrolled for the study were healthy pregnant females in their first trimester who attended antenatal clinic at Lal Ded Hospital, a 750 bedded maternity hospital associated with Government Medical College, Srinagar.

Results: The mean + SD of daily salt intake was 7.07 ± 3.05/day with minimum of 2.70 gm/day and a maximum of 21.01 gm/ day. The mean±SD of 24 hour urinary sodium excretion (mmol/24 hours) of normotensive subjects in first trimester was 102.49±37.1mmol/24 hours, the mean±SD of 24 hour urinary sodium excretion in second trimester was 103.55±30.7mmol/24 hours and the Mean±SD of 24 hour urinary sodium excretion in third trimester was 103.60±30.8 ( mmol/24 hours). The Mean 24 hour urinary sodium potassium molar ratio (Na: K) of normotensive subjects was 4.77:1 and that of hypertensive subjects was 8.79:1.The difference in molar ratio was statistically highly significant with P<0.001.

Conclusion: The average salt intake in the study participants was higher than recommended. The participants with PIH had increased sodium excretion with increasing during of the pregnancy. Potassium excretion remained constant in our subjects throughout the pregnancy.

Keywords: Cohort Study, PIH, Preeclampsia, Na/K ratio, urinary analysis.

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Dr Sheikh Mohd Saleem

Demonstrator, Department of Community Medicine, Government Medical College, Srinagar