SALTS - Salt ALTernatives Study

Overview

The Salt ALTernatives Study (SALTS) will include 326 people with high blood pressure who will be randomly allocated (like a coin toss) to receive either a dietary salt reduction programme (SaltSwitch smartphone app + low sodium salt) or general information about heart-healthy eating. The SaltSwitch app enables the user to scan the barcode of a packaged food and receive guidance on healthier, low salt alternatives.

The 14-week study incudes a two-week baseline period followed by a 12-week intervention period, with random allocation taking place at the end of baseline. All participants will be given a SIM-enabled blood pressure monitor to provide home-based measures, collect two urine samples, and use a study smartphone app to scan household food purchases.

The main outcome of interest is urinary sodium excretion in adults with high blood pressure. Other outcome measures include systolic blood pressure, the number of participants achieving blood pressure control, urinary potassium excretion, changes in the sodium content of packaged food purchases, data on use and acceptability of the SaltSwitch smartphone app and low sodium salt and cost-effectiveness.

Aim

The aim of SALTS is to find out what effect a 12-week dietary salt reduction programme has on urinary sodium excretion in adults with high blood pressure.

Trial Registration Number: ACTRN12619000352101
This study has ethics approval from HDEC (18/NTB/239).

Timeline

Project will begin: Oct 2018

Results

Due mid 2022

Publications and Presentations

• Lessons learned from a remote blood pressure lowering trial in Aotearoa