Tap water in coastal areas may contribute to high blood pressure

The authors conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 27 population-based studies involving over 74 thousand participants from the United States, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Kenya, Australia, Israel and several European countries. The results showed that people who drank water with higher salinity had higher mean values ​​for both systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared to those who drank water with less saltiness. In particular, systolic pressure was on average 3.2 mmHg higher. Art., and diastolic – by almost 2.8 mm Hg. Art. In addition, increased drinking water salinity was associated with a 26% increased risk of hypertension, with the strongest and most consistent association observed in coastal areas.

Salt can get into drinking water in a variety of ways, including through seawater intrusion into underground aquifers that provide nearly half the world’s drinking water supplies. Such processes are especially typical for coastal zones, where underground fresh and salt water bodies are very close to each other.

More than three billion people worldwide live in coastal or near-coast areas, a figure scientists point to as an important aspect of public health research. In many of these places, groundwater is the main source of drinking water, so salinity levels have a significant impact on water quality. Although the influence of dietary sodium on the risk of developing high blood pressure has long been known, the sodium content of drinking water, especially in coastal regions, is not yet taken into account in most current recommendations for the prevention of hypertension.

Although the analysis showed a consistent link between the salinity of drinking water, high blood pressure and the risk of hypertension, the scientists felt that the available data were insufficient to draw conclusions about the effect on other cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attack or stroke.

However, these results raise important questions for public health planning, especially in coastal regions where drinking water salinity is expected to be higher. Strengthening water quality monitoring, improving water resource management, and incorporating environmental factors into hypertension prevention programs may be helpful to reduce long-term risk of cardiovascular disease.