Restricted-Sodium Diet Compared with Normal-Sodium Diet in Heart Failure: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical Trials

Heart failure is one of the common and significant diseases worldwide, associated with serious outcomes such as mortality and hospitalization. Sodium restriction in patients’ diet is a common intervention in managing this condition. This systematic review examines the impact of sodium restriction on the rate of mortality and hospitalization in heart failure patients.

Through a systematic search, international databases including PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane were searched for relevant articles without time restrictions. The quality of the articles was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Data were statistically analyzed using a random-effects model and the CMA software version 3.

Six studies with a total sample size of 2450 individuals were included in the analysis. Sodium restriction in the diet did not have a significant impact on mortality among heart failure patients. The odds ratio for mortality in this group was 2.2, with a 95% confidence interval ranging from 0.9 to 5.4. Furthermore, sodium restriction did not have a significant effect on the occurrence of hospitalization due to heart failure (odds ratio 1.2 with a 95% confidence interval of 0.4 to 3.3).

Based on the results of this study, sodium restriction in the diet of heart failure patients did not have a significant impact on the rate of mortality and hospitalization. These findings can assist healthcare professionals and nutritionists in providing better recommendations to patients. Additionally, these results can contribute to significant decision-making in improving the care of heart failure patients.