URMC / Employee Assistance Program / News & Events / UR Medicine EAP Blog / February 2018 / Salt and Heart Health Salt and Heart Health February is Heart Health Awareness month. You already know that you should exercise regularly, but let’s discuss your salt intake. Your heart and salt are not buddies. Reducing your use of salt, especially if you have a family history of high blood pressure or heart disease, could help save your life. When you consume salt, you make it more difficult for your kidneys to gather fluid and for you to urinate, which leads to fluid retention. This fluid raises your blood pressure and, in turn, puts strain on your heart. The tiny blood vessels that lead to your kidneys are also strained. 2/8/2018 You may also like Check Your Blood Pressure Use "Distancing" to Think Calmly Under Pressure Off-Load Worry for Improved Performance Functioning Well Under Pressure