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Excess dietary salt raises blood pressure — the #2 cause of kidney failure — and directly stresses the kidneys by forcing hyperfiltration. Cutting salt lowers proteinuria and blood pressure in CKD, and is the single most effective dietary lever in kidney disease.
Salt (sodium) drives the hypertension that damages kidney blood vessels — hypertension causes or worsens roughly 30% of kidney failure.
Even without raising blood pressure much, high sodium intake increases intraglomerular pressure (hyperfiltration) — the same mechanism SGLT2 inhibitors protect against — accelerating CKD.
In dialysis, sodium is the root driver of thirst and fluid overload: each gram of salt pulls water into the body. Cutting salt is the most powerful tool for controlling interdialytic weight gain.
The CKD target: <2 g sodium/day (about 5 g salt) — and hidden sodium in bread, sauces, processed foods, and restaurant food dwarfs the salt shaker.
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This content is a general reference, not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Do not change your diet, fluids, medicines, or dialysis plan without your nephrologist or renal dietitian. Individual recommendations depend on your labs, medications, conditions, and care plan.