Blood pressure: salt
Monday, February 8, 2010 - 03:14
in Health & Medicine
Everybody needs salt, but health experts generally agree that most Americans get too much of it. Excess salt can lead to excess fluid retention in the blood. This makes the circulatory system "fuller" and the pressure inside it greater. Salt can also make small blood vessels called arterioles contract, which effectively shrinks the circulatory system, again increasing pressure.