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The average salt intake of people in Canada, the United States, and Europe is about 3,400mg of sodium per day, which exceeds the recommended intake levels set by various health organizations. The World Health Organization recommends a worldwide reduction of sodium intake to less than 2,000mg per day. Most research to date has focused on the negative effects of high-sodium intake; however, little information is available on the metabolic effects of low-sodium intakes. This review focuses on the hormonal changes associated with low-sodium diets, specially the hormones involved in metabolism and cardiovascular and renal function. Based largely on rodent studies, low-sodium diets have been associated with changes in glycemic control, energy metabolism, cardiovascular disease risk, cholesterol concentrations, inflammation, and functioning of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. Overall, research has revealed mixed results regarding the impact of dietary sodium intake on various hormones. Further research is required to assess the effects of sodium reduction on hormones and their associated pathways in order to determine the likelihood of any unintended effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examines the awareness of evidence-based practices by the public organizations that fund services in the North American Quitline Consortium (NAQC). NAQC is a large, publicly funded, goal-directed "whole network," spanning both Canada and the United States, working to get people to quit smoking. Building on prior research on the dissemination and diffusion of innovation and evidence-based practices, and considering differences between network ties that are homophilous versus instrumental, we found that awareness of evidence-based practices was highest for quitline funders that were strongly connected directly to researchers and indirectly to the network administrative organization, controlling for quitline spending per capita and decision-making locus of control. The findings support the importance of maintaining instrumental (a technical/rational argument) rather than homophilous ties for acquisition of evidence-based practice knowledge. The findings also offer ideas for how public networks might be designed and governed to enhance the likelihood that the organizations in the network are better aware of what evidence-based practices exist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]