According to a news release from the University of Dundee, high salt levels in “fizzy” medicines are linked to increased risk of cardiovascular events, like heart attacks and strokes. Based on their findings, the researchers would like the salt content of medicines to be labelled in the same way that the salt content of foods is labeled.

Patients taking “fizzy,” dispersible and soluble medicines containing high levels of sodium are at higher risk of heart attacks and strokes when examined in contrast with patients taking non-“fizzy,” dispersible and soluble forms of the same medicines.

“We know that high salt causes hypertension and that hypertension leads to stroke,” said Dr. Jacob George of Dundee University, according to BBC News.

Researchers at the University of Dundee and University College London discovered that taking the maximum daily dose of some medicines would place patients over their recommended daily limit of salt.

They warn that sodium-containing formulations “should be prescribed with caution only if the perceived benefits outweigh the risks.”

Many commonly prescribed medicines have sodium added to enhance their absorption into the body, but the impact of this technique is unknown.

The researchers compared the risk of cardiovascular events in patients taking sodium-containing “fizzy,” dispersible and soluble medications with those taking non-sodium versions of the same drugs between 1978 and 2010.

More than 1.2 million patients were watched for an average of just over seven years. During this study period, more than 61,000 cardiovascular events took place.

The researchers took into consideration factors like body mass index, smoking, alcohol intake, etc.

The researchers discovered that patients taking the sodium-containing “fizzy,” dispersible and soluble medications had a 16 percent raised risk of a heart attack or stroke when examined in contrast with other patients taking the non-sodium forms of the same medications.

In addition, patients taking the sodium-containing drugs were seven time more likely to experience high blood pressure and overall death rates were 28 percent higher in this group.

According to the authors, their results “are potentially of public health importance.”

“Prescription of these sodium-containing formulations should be done with caution, and patients prescribed them should be closely monitored for the emergence of hypertension,” the authors noted.

They also reiterated the importance of labeling the salt content of medicines.

“Without clear labeling on these products, it is impossible to know how much additional sodium you would be eating, so it is shocking to find you could be having more than your daily maximum from medicines alone,” added Gareth Beevers, of Blood Pressure UK, according to BBC News.

The study’s findings are described in greater detail on bmj.com.

What do you think of the researchers’ findings? Share your thoughts in the comment section.