Too much salt is an extra burden on a baby's body, especially the kidneys. As mentioned earlier, sodium tends to increase blood pressure which can lead to kidney disease, heart disease, and stroke. However, not everyone is equally susceptible. In the United States, approximately 25 percent of all adults have high blood pressure. Sodium intake is only one of the factors known to affect blood pressure.
Obesity also seems to play a role.
Among people who use very little sodium, high blood pressure is rare. In contrast, high blood pressure is more common among people with high-sodium intake. When people with high blood pressure severely restrict their sodium intake, their blood pressure will usually fall, although not always to a normal level. At present, we cannot reliably predict who will develop high blood pressure. However, certain groups of people, such as blacks, do have a higher rate.