Salt-sensitive hypertension affects nearly 50% of the hypertensive and 25% of the
normotensive population, and strong evidence indicates that reducing salt intake decreases
blood pressure and cardiovascular events. The precise mechanisms of how dietary salt
contributes to blood pressure elevation, renal injury, and cardiovascular disease remains
unclear. Our data indicated that monocytes exhibit salt sensitivity, and the investigators
hypothesize that of salt sensitivity of these and similar immune cells correlate with the
hypertensive response to salt intake. Currently, the research tools for diagnosing
salt-sensitivity are costly, time consuming and laborious. In this study the investigators
will identify monocyte salt-sensitivity as a marker of salt-sensitive hypertension.