[Why do treated hypertensives disregard our advice? A contribution to the "crash" initiative].

Salt intake contributes to the rise in blood pressure and prevalence of hypertension. In this interventional trial on 110 treated hypertensives over three months a permanently elevated sodium excretion was found, averaging 187.9 +/- 81.5 mmol/day (range 103-297), because of inappropriate salt intake. The treated hypertensives, despite opposite claims, consume large amounts of salt, which, in addition to noncompliance, is the leading cause of poor hypertension control. Dietary education is an important part of preventive care in family medicine, and legal measures to enforce salt labeling on alimentary products are mandatory.