High Salt intake is common in some parts of the world. Excessive carbohydrate intake can lead to Diabetes and excessive salt intake can lead to the hypertension and the associated complications. Many drugs and formulations contain sodium and it was observed that that can be harmful too.
The dispersible and effervescent formulations of paracetamol 500 mg, however, can contain 18.6 mmol and 16.9 mmol of sodium in each tablet, respectively, and therefore the maximum daily dose of eight tablets/day results in the ingestion of 148.8 mmol and 135.2 mmol of sodium, respectively. This exceeds the recommended total daily allowance of sodium for one drug alone. Added to a typical Western diet, these drugs could result in high sodium intake. Curiously, unlike foods, pharmaceutical manufacturers are not placed under any restrictions or obligations with regards to sodium content or labeling of these sodium-containing formulations.
Beware of Tablets with High sodium content especially in patients where you are restricting salt intake !!!
Exposure to sodium-containing
formulations of effervescent, dispersible, and soluble medicines was associated
with significantly increased odds of adverse cardiovascular events compared
with standard formulations of those same drugs. Sodium-containing formulations
should be prescribed with caution only if the perceived benefits outweigh these
risks.
Excess dietary sodium is a major public health problem worldwide. In response to a 2010 report by the Institute of Medicine, the National Salt Reduction Initiative (NSRI) was established with a goal to reduce dietary sodium consumption in the United States by 20% in five years. Reducing sodium intake in the US to the recommended 2.3 g/day (100 mmol/L or one teaspoonful) could prevent 11 million cases of hypertension, save $18bn (£11bn, €13bn) healthcare dollars, and gain 312 000 quality adjusted life years (QALYs) valued at $32bn annually. In the United Kingdom, the Food Standards Agency also launched a campaign in 20023 to reduce salt intake in the estimated 26 million people in the UK who have high dietary sodium intake. It has been estimated that a 3 g/day reduction in salt (1.2 g/day reduction in sodium) could prevent 30 000 cardiovascular events and save the National Health Service (NHS) at least £40m/year (€48m, $64m).The dispersible and effervescent formulations of paracetamol 500 mg, however, can contain 18.6 mmol and 16.9 mmol of sodium in each tablet, respectively, and therefore the maximum daily dose of eight tablets/day results in the ingestion of 148.8 mmol and 135.2 mmol of sodium, respectively. This exceeds the recommended total daily allowance of sodium for one drug alone. Added to a typical Western diet, these drugs could result in high sodium intake. Curiously, unlike foods, pharmaceutical manufacturers are not placed under any restrictions or obligations with regards to sodium content or labeling of these sodium-containing formulations.
Beware of Tablets with High sodium content especially in patients where you are restricting salt intake !!!
