Educational strategies for achieving a sodium restricted diet in patients with heart failure.
Published: 2007
Language: eng
Number of pages: 90
ISBN-13: 9780494273777
Description: Multidisciplinary heart failure (HF) clinics reduce hospital readmission and improve clinical outcomes. Nutrition education is a component of these programs, although its delivery methods are variable. We tested the effect of dietitian-delivered education for reducing sodium intake in ambulatory HF patients. We randomized patients to a nutrition counseling group, which included two counseling sessions with a dietitian (n=23), or to a usual care group which consisted of distribution of written education materials. Patients were prescribed a 2 gram sodium restricted diet and were followed for 3 months. Patients who received dietitian-delivered education significantly reduced sodium intake (2.80+/-0.30 to 2.14+/-0.23 g/day, p&lt;0.05). In contrast, there was no change in sodium intake in the usual care group (3.00+/-0.31 to 2.74+/-0.35 g/day). Therefore, dietitian-delivered counseling was more effective than usual care in reducing dietary sodium intake. Participation of a dietitian should be considered when prescribing dietary restrictions to HF patients.
Notes: Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 45-06, page: 3136.

Thesis (M.Sc.)--University of Toronto, 2007.

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