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Please pass (on) the salt. It's not just good advice for people with high blood pressure. If you're sensitive to salt and have normal blood pressure, it can still be hard on your heart.

Salt sensitivity is a measure of how blood pressure responds to salt. About one in four Americans with normal blood pressure is sensitive to salt. More than half (58 percent) with hypertension are salt-sensitive.

You are more likely to be salt-sensitive if you:

• Are older
• Are African American
• Have a family member with high blood pressure or salt sensitivity

One consequence of salt sensitivity is high blood pressure. This increases your risk of developing heart disease, the number one killer of men and women in the United States.

Sensitivity to salt can also increase your risk of developing kidney problems and enlargement of the left ventricle, your heart's main pumping chamber.

Cutting salt from your diet
Reducing the sodium in your diet can significantly reduce your blood pressure, even if you do not have hypertension.

The average American consumes about 3,300 mg of sodium per day. That's one quarter more than the 2,400 mg recommended by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute's (NHLBI) High Blood Pressure Education Program and twice as much as the 1,500-mg limit in the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet.

Sodium used as a preservative, curing agent or flavoring in processed foods is the biggest source of sodium in the American diet. One third of the sodium in your diet is naturally present in foods and another -third comes from table salt (sodium chloride).

Measuring your sodium intake can be hard, especially when you eat prepared foods or eat in restaurants. Here are some tips to de-salt your diet:

• Read food labels carefully to help you choose foods that are low in sodium. Almost all packaged foods contain sodium, but there are low-, reduced-sodium and no-salt-added versions. What is the difference in these terms?
• Sodium free is less than 5 mg per serving.
• Very low sodium is 35 mg or less.
• Low sodium is 140 mg or less.
• Reduced sodium means a 25 percent reduction in the usual level of sodium.
• Buy fresh food. Fresh vegetables, poultry, fish and lean meat are better alternatives than canned or processed foods. You can try rinsing canned foods, such as tuna, to remove some sodium.
• Avoid foods that are high in sodium. Canned and dried foods and processed luncheon meats and cheeses are some common high-sodium foods. Bacon, sausage, corned beef, hot dogs and pizza are also high in sodium. So are condiments such as ketchup, mustard and soy sauce. Instead, try eating more fruits, vegetables, grains and low-fat dairy foods.
• Put away the saltshaker. Use herbs, spices and other salt-free seasonings when you cook. Cook rice, pasta and hot cereals without salt.
• Keep a sodium diary to help you decide which foods to decrease or eliminate. You may be surprised at how much sodium you consume each day.

Sources: National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Study shows new link between salt sensitivity and risk of death. Accessed May 20, 2008. Rodriguez-Iturbe B, Romero F, Johnson RJ. Pathophysiological mechanisms of salt-dependent hypertension. American Journal of Kidney Diseases. 2007;50(4):655-672. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. A food labeling guide: Definitions of nutrient content claims. Accessed May 20, 2008. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Food and drugs. Accessed May 20, 2008.

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