Study finds cardiovascular risk from soluble medicines containing sodium

Thousands of patients taking effervescent and soluble medicines containing sodium are at greater cardiovascular risk than patients taking non-fizzing versions of the same drugs, a study has found.

Researchers at the University of Dundee and University College London, UK, found that taking the maximum daily dose of some medicines would exceed the recommended daily limits for sodium, without any additional dietary intake, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal.

They say the patients “should be warned about the potential dangers of high sodium intake from prescribed medicines” and that sodium-containing formulations “should be prescribed with caution only if the perceived benefits outweigh the risks.” They also call for the sodium content of medicines to be clearly labeled in the same way as foods are labeled.