Day 252 - 20 May 96 - Page 40


     
     1
     2        What I am merely saying is that there is a great deal more
     3        to the control of blood pressure than the sodium in these
     4        particular populations.
     5
     6   Q.   Then if you look in 6.4, which you seem to have just
     7        touched on with lifestyle.  I mean, read through it if you
     8        want, but the relevant part I would like to draw to your
     9        attention is in the seventh line up from the bottom where
    10        it says:
    11
    12        "Their analysis, which allowed the separation of the
    13        effects of urbanisation and of sodium, suggested that both
    14        urbanisation and sodium have independent effects throughout
    15        the range of observed blood pressures."
    16
    17        Would you accept that?
    18        A.   Yes, that seems reasonable.
    19
    20   Q.   The last part of 6.6.5, the fourth line up says:
    21
    22        "Based on their data and the average age of the English
    23        population, an average reduction in systolic blood pressure
    24        of about 3.5 millimetres HG would be expected to result
    25        from an average reduction in sodium of 50 mmol/day."
    26
    27        Would you agree with that?
    28        A.   Yes, I have no reason to disagree with it.  I think if
    29        you are talking about the average age of the English
    30        population, we are talking about an average change but that
    31        change would be almost entirely confined to the older
    32        section of the population.  That is the section about which
    33        we would be concerned.
    34
    35   Q.   The effects of sodium on the diet are something that can
    36        have an effect over a matter of a few weeks; are they not,
    37        5 weeks?  You would agree with that?
    38        A.   I am not sure that it would be as rapid as that on
    39        blood pressure.
    40
    41   MR. MORRIS:  If you read the first sentence of that first
    42        paragraph?
    43
    44   MS. STEEL:   It says "at least 5 weeks"?
    45        A.  "At least 5 weeks", yes.
    46
    47   Q.   Basically, the effects can start happening after about 5
    48        weeks and that is fairly -- well, I do not know, I consider
    49        that to be fairly rapid?
    50        A.   It is encouraging, yes. 
    51 
    52   Q.   If we go over the page in 6.6.8, and incidentally in 6.6.7 
    53        they say: "There is levels of the dietary potassium intake
    54        reducing blood pressure at the moment".  Would you agree
    55        with that?
    56        A.   I am sorry, which section?
    57
    58   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   6.6.7 on the top of page 138?
    59        A.   Yes, the same with both sodium and potassium, in fact.
    60

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