A major study from Bar-Ilan University highlights the importance of hydration in preventing chronic diseases, particularly hypertension and heart failure. The findings suggest that maintaining proper hydration could help regulate sodium levels and reduce the risk of cardiovascular conditions—some of the most prevalent health concerns worldwide.
The study, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, analyzed electronic health records from 2003 to 2023 of more than 407,000 healthy adults enrolled in Israel’s Leumit Healthcare Services. It is among the largest and longest-running studies exploring how hydration impacts cardiovascular health.
Hydration and Heart Health: The Connection
Sodium, routinely measured in standard blood tests, has long been considered within a normal range between 135–146 mmol/L. However, the research revealed that individuals with higher sodium levels—even within this range—face increased cardiovascular risks:
Sodium levels of 140–142 mmol/L were associated with a 13% higher risk of hypertension.
Levels above 143 mmol/L correlated with a 29% higher hypertension risk and a 20% higher risk of heart failure.
Nearly 60% of the healthy adult population had sodium levels in these risk-associated ranges.
These findings remained significant even after adjusting for factors such as age, sex, BMI, blood pressure, smoking status, and potassium levels. To ensure accuracy, individuals with medical conditions affecting water balance were excluded from the study.
Hydration: A Simple Yet Powerful Prevention Strategy
The results reinforce the idea that hydration is often overlooked in chronic disease prevention. Prof. Jonathan Rabinowitz, the study’s lead author from the Weisfeld School of Social Work at Bar-Ilan University, emphasized the practical implications:
“Our findings point to hydration as a critical and overlooked part of chronic disease prevention. A simple blood test might flag people who could benefit from basic lifestyle adjustments—like drinking more water, which reduces sodium levels,” he said.
Dr. Natalia Dmitrieva from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), who collaborated on the study, echoed this sentiment, suggesting that hydration should be considered an essential component of long-term health strategies.
With global aging and chronic disease rates on the rise, these findings could help shape future preventive guidelines, screenings, and public health campaigns aimed at encouraging healthy hydration habits.
The research was funded in part by the Elie Wiesel Chair at Bar-Ilan University and the Intramural Research Program of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at the NIH.