Characteristic dietary habits associated with high values of estimated 24-hours urinary sodium excretion and sodium-to-potassium ratio assessed by age group among the residents of a rural town in Japan

Excess salt intake causes hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD). We examined estimated 24-h urinary sodium (Na) excretion and sodium-to-potassium (Na/K) ratio and analyzed the association between estimated 24-h urinary salt excretion (urinary salt excretion) and dietary habits by age group to develop effective public health programs to promote salt reduction. A total of 4,051 subjects aged 30–74 years old received information during periodic health checkups. In the analysis, 1,202 subjects without hypertension whose urine samples and dietary habits were confirmed (29.7%; 483 men and 719 women) were included. The median urinary salt excretion was 9.1 g/day in men and 8.6 g/day in women. Daily intake of soups in men aged p = .03, p p = .01, and p = .02, respectively). The median urinary Na/K ratio (mEq/mEq) was 4.4 in both men and women. Daily intake of vegetables in men aged p = .03, p p