MONDAY, Nov. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Excessive consumption of sodium and artificial sweeteners increases the risk of declining kidney function, while excess fructose consumption increases the risk of high blood pressure, according to a study presented at the American Society of Nephrology's 42nd Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition, held from Oct. 27 to Nov. 1 in San Diego.

In separate studies, Julie Lin, M.D., and Gary Curhan, M.D., of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, and colleagues examined the effects of sodium and artificial sweeteners on kidney function among more than 3,000 women in the Nurses' Health Study. Higher dietary sodium intake was found to be associated with a greater kidney function decline in women with well-preserved kidneys, while the odds for kidney decline doubled for women consuming two or more daily servings of artificially sweetened soda.

In a third study, Diana Jalal, M.D., of the University of Colorado Denver Health Sciences Center, and colleagues administered a dietary questionnaire to 4,528 adults without hypertension and calculated fructose intake based on the amounts of fruit juice, soft drink, candy and baked goods consumption reported. Subjects who ate or drank more than 74 grams per day of fructose had a 28 percent increased risk for blood pressure of 135/85 mm Hg, a 36 percent increased risk for 140/90 mm Hg, and an 87 percent increased risk for blood pressure levels of 160/100 mm Hg.

"While more study is needed, our research suggests that higher sodium and artificially sweetened soda intake are associated with greater rate of decline in kidney function," Lin said in a statement.

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