[ad_1]
January 03, 2023
1 minute read
Source/Disclosures
Published by:
Disclosures:
The authors report no relevant financial information.
Adults with high serum sodium in middle age, a marker of inadequate fluid intake, were more likely to be biologically older than their chronological age and to develop chronic diseases compared to adequately hydrated adults, the data shows.
“The results suggest that good hydration can slow aging and prolong a disease-free life,” Natalia Dmitrieva, PhD, a researcher from NHLBI’s Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, said in a press release.
Dmitrieva and her colleagues analyzed data from 15,752 middle-aged adults aged 45 to 66 at baseline who participated in the ongoing Community Atherosclerosis Risk Study and were followed for 25 years. The researchers evaluated serum sodium as an indicator of hydration habits and estimated the relative speed of aging by calculating biological age, using age-dependent biomarkers, and assessing the risk of chronic disease and premature mortality.
Researchers found that serum sodium over 142 mmol/L in middle age was associated with a 39% increased risk of developing chronic diseases (HR=1.39; 95% CI, 1.18 -1.63), whereas a serum sodium of more than 144 mmol/L was associated with an elevated risk of premature mortality of 21% (RR = 1.21; 95% CI, 1.02-1.45 ).
Participants with serum sodium greater than 142 mmol/L were up to twice as likely to be biologically older than their chronological age (OR=1.5; 95% CI, 1.14-1.96 ). Higher biological age was associated with increased risk of chronic diseases, including heart failure, dementia, chronic lung disease, stroke, diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, and atrial fibrillation (HR=1 .7; 95% CI, 1.5-1.93), as well as premature mortality (HR=1.59; 95% CI, 1.39-1.83), according to the researchers.
“Individuals with a serum sodium of 142 mEq/L or higher would benefit from an assessment of their fluid intake,” Dmitrieva said in the statement.
The researchers noted that most people can safely increase their fluid intake to the recommended levels, which can be done with water, juices, or vegetables and fruits with high water content.
“Globally, this can have a big impact,” Dmitrieva said in the statement. “Decreased body water content is the most common factor that increases serum sodium, so the results suggest that proper hydration can slow the aging process and prevent or delay chronic disease.”
Perspective
These results are in line with the advice that many people around the world received when they were young: drink six to eight glasses of water a day. For many years this advice became and was no longer fashionable. This study passes the common sense test that staying well hydrated is probably a good idea. Whether doing this or just drinking whenever you feel thirsty makes any real difference is unclear. Where this may break down is in the elderly or those with clinical or subclinical dementia, when a person may lose the feeling of thirst. There, it is important to go the extra mile to make sure vulnerable people stay hydrated.
This analysis included middle-aged people between the ages of 45 and 66, so dementia is probably not a major factor. The only way to prove this observational analysis is to conduct a proper randomized trial comparing different degrees of water consumption. It would be inexpensive because water is cheap; however, food trials are notoriously difficult and the cohort would need to be large to see a measurable effect size.
As part of a lab swab, clinicians always get a sodium level, so if someone’s sodium level is off, a clinician would act on it. If the sodium level is only in the high-normal range, I don’t know if a clinician would necessarily act on that and try to include water intake as part of an already busy clinic visit. From a practical layman’s point of view, it makes sense to stay well hydrated in life. Should we force ourselves to drink even if we are not thirsty? I’m not sure I approve of that; however, in this peri-pandemic era where many people can work from home and lead more sedentary lives, it’s important to remember the need to stay well hydrated.
Deepak L. Bhatt, MD, MPH
Editor of the Cardiology Procedures Today section
Director, Mount Sinai Heart
Dr Valentin Fuster Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine
The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Disclosures: Bhatt reports various financial ties to various pharmaceutical and device companies.
|
Sources 2/ https://www.healio.com/news/cardiology/20230103/adequate-hydration-may-slow-biological-aging-reduce-disease-risk The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article |
[ad_2]