Should I cut back on salt since I have high blood pressure?

[FlatAssembler]

A few weeks ago, my doctor measured my blood pressure and heart rate. My blood pressure was 170/110 and my heart rate was 158 beats per minute. So, my doctor prescribed me a beta-blocker called Bisoprololfumarate and told me to cut back on salt.
Now, the evidence that beta-blockers are safe, if not beneficial, is overwhelming: I have read somewhere (I think it was on ScienceBasedMedicine) about a study that was preventatively giving beta-blockers to people without measuring their blood pressure (so, we can assume most of them had normal or even low blood pressure), and there turned out to be no difference in all-cause mortality between people who were receiving beta-blockers and people who were receiving placebo. So I started taking them.
However, I don't know how much science the recommendation to eat less salt is based on. I know WHO recommends people not to take more than 6 grams of salt per day, and that the standard American diet includes around twice that amount. However, there doesn't appear to be a correlation between salt intake and heart disease. For example, a typical Japanese diet includes around 40 grams of salt per day, yet Japanese have significantly lower mortality from heart disease than Americans do. And I really like salty food. So, what do you think, should I try to eat less salt?

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

A few weeks ago, my doctor measured my blood pressure and heart rate. My blood pressure was 170/110 and my heart rate was 158 beats per minute. So, my doctor prescribed me a beta-blocker called Bisoprololfumarate and told me to cut back on salt.
Now, the evidence that beta-blockers are safe, if not beneficial, is overwhelming: I have read somewhere (I think it was on ScienceBasedMedicine) about a study that was preventatively giving beta-blockers to people without measuring their blood pressure (so, we can assume most of them had normal or even low blood pressure), and there turned out to be no difference in all-cause mortality between people who were receiving beta-blockers and people who were receiving placebo. So I started taking them.
However, I don't know how much science the recommendation to eat less salt is based on. I know WHO recommends people not to take more than 6 grams of salt per day, and that the standard American diet includes around twice that amount. However, there doesn't appear to be a correlation between salt intake and heart disease. For example, a typical Japanese diet includes around 40 grams of salt per day, yet Japanese have significantly lower mortality from heart disease than Americans do. And I really like salty food. So, what do you think, should I try to eat less salt?

A high-salt diet is one of the risk factors for heart disease. Increased salt intake causes a sodium imbalance, which leads to fluid retention, which increases blood pressure. This is so well established that it’s pointless to argue it.

The other significant risk factor for heart disease is cholesterol. The reason that heart disease causes fewer deaths in Japan than in the US that the Japanese tend to have a lower cholesterol diet.

Will cutting back on salt help your blood pressure? Almost certainly. Will it guarantee that you don’t develop heart disease? No.

You’re conflating ‘high blood pressure’ with ‘heart disease’.

Boru

[arewethereyet]

Maybe more sesame seeds will balance things out.

[Ravenshire]

Maybe more sesame seeds will balance things out.

They will certainly help, but not alone. He'll need to supplement those sesame seeds with heme iron for any substantial benefit.

[zebo-the-fat]

Why not ask your doctor? He is the one who trained in medicine

[arewethereyet]

Why not ask your doctor?  He is the one who trained in medicine

He was okay with the doctor prescribing a beta blocker but isn't so sure about reducing his salt consumption.

This guy is a troll who is pulling topics out of his ass.

[zebo-the-fat]

But surely a bunch of random people on the interwebs will know more than his doctor!

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

But surely a bunch of random people on the interwebs will know more than his doctor!

IKR? Why take the word of a trained, credentialed scientist over that of a gaggle of nameless, faceless strangers?

Boru

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Maybe more sesame seeds will balance things out.

They will certainly help, but not alone. He'll need to supplement those sesame seeds with heme iron for any substantial benefit.

Brace yourself - the p-values can’t be far behind.

Boru

[arewethereyet]

They will certainly help, but not alone. He'll need to supplement those sesame seeds with heme iron for any substantial benefit.

Brace yourself - the p-values can’t be far behind.

Boru

I think the 'p' stands for prison.