NUTRITION IMPACTS HEART DISEASE

Early on, there may be no need for stringent sodium reduction.
Dr.Freeman's group at Tufts is trying to find the recipes. She started exploring the role of diet in heart disease in early 1990s while completing her doctorate in nutrition. Her research focused on whether certain nutrients could alleviate cachexia, a form of muscle wasting that accompanies many chronic diseases in both humans and thier dogs,including heart and kidny failure,cancer and AIDS. One study showed that 50% of dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy suffered from cachexia. Dr. Freeman now has several studies under way at Tufts examining the relationship between a dog's diet and his heart. "Our goal is to find out how nutrition can impact cardiovascular disease," she said. "If you look back 30 or 40 years, the role of nutrition in heart disease was 'give them a low sodium diet.'That was all you could do. It was very limited ----- it was very black and white."

Today, while sodium restriction remain the cornerstone, nutritional interventions are anything but black and white. In fact, dietary recommendation can vary by breed and change over time, even with sodium. " The degree of salt restriction depends very much on the stage of the disease," said Dr.Freeman.

SALT OFTEN LURKS in unexpected sources
restricting sodium is an important part of managing heart disease, but it's easier said than done. Potato chips and pretzels may be obvious culprits, but sodium can hide in other sources, such as:

* Baby food
*Bread
*Lunch meats
*Cheese unless labeled low sodium
*Canned foods
*Soups
*Most dog biscuits & treats

Information from Tufts University school of Veterinary Medicine