A new study led by Stephen Juraschek, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), sheds new light on these conflicting findings. The researchers found that reducing sodium intake in adults with elevated blood pressure or hypertension decreased thirst, urine volume (a marker of fluid intake), and blood pressure, but did not affect metabolic energy needs. These results, published in the journal Hypertension, support the traditional notion that decreasing sodium intake is critical to managing hypertension — disputing recent studies.