Effectiveness of salt restriction versus aerobic exercise to control hypertension in overweight adults: An Integrative Literature Review

Abstract

Purpose: To examine existing literature on the effectiveness of increased physical activity versus dietary salt restriction in blood pressure control of overweight adults.

Background: Almost 50% of adults in the United States have hypertension, a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Current clinical guidelines recommend lifestyle modifications such as reduced salt intake and increased physical activity to manage hypertension in overweight adults
and purport that each lifestyle change can decrease blood pressure. Single lifestyle modifications have not been adequately explored in overweight adults.

PICOT Question: In patients who are overweight, does participating in aerobic exercises help reduce hypertension as compared to limiting salt intake for 2 months or more?

Methods: This integrative literature review used electronic databases, CINAHL and Google Scholar, to search for publications between 2010 and 2023.

Results: Fifteen studies were identified that met the inclusion criteria. The results revealed that a combination of aerobic exercise and reduced salt intake decreased blood pressure in overweight adults.

Conclusion: Current evidence on the effects of either salt restriction or physical activity alone in blood pressure control for overweight adults is not certain. Further research is needed to ascertain the effectiveness of a single lifestyle modification for blood pressure control in this population.

Keywords: Hypertension, Low-Salt Diet, Aerobic Exercise, Overweight Adults

Presentation

Biography

Kyle Baca RN, BSN, BEXSc
Kyle Baca RN, BSN, BEXSc graduated from ECPI University with his RN license in 2019 and completed his BSN at UNC Charlotte in 2021. Baca works at Levine Children’s Hospital on the 10th floor which specializes in Neuro, Trauma, and Ortho patients. He is currently finishing his Master of Science in Nursing at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. His goals are to complete this degree and move on to travel nursing for a while until he eventually moves back to Charlotte to utilize his nursing education degree. Baca played ice hockey since I was 4 years old and loves to play guitar, piano, and ukulele, and enjoying new experiences with family and friends.

Brittany Swafford RN, BSN
Brittany Swafford RN, BSN graduated from James Madison University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2019. Prior to non-oncology infusion nursing, she worked in cardiothoracic post-surgical care. Swafford is currently completing my Master of Science in Nursing at University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a Major in Nursing Systems/Populations and a Concentration in Nurse Education. Upon completion of my graduate studies, she will be transitioning in the infusion group where she currently works from a clinical nurse II into a clinical supervisor role. Swafford loves reading, listening to podcasts, and spending time with her family, friends, and puppy!

Jessica Watts, RN, BSN
Jessica Watts, RN, BSN obtained a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2008 and before that, she had an associate of nursing at Robeson Community College in Lumberton, North Carolina. Watts has 19 years of nursing experience, with 18 years of those being in home health. She has a love for public health nursing with a focus on patients who have limited resources. Currently, Watts is pursuing a Master of Science degree with a concentration of Family Nurse Practitioner from my alma mater, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She intends to use this degree to continue in some form of community-based nursing. Watts also has a background in home infusion. When she is not working, she am reading, looking at true crime TV shows, or spending time with her husband, son, daughter, and their three precious grandboys.

Faculty Committee Advisor(s)

Willie M. Abel, PhD, RN, FAHA