Adults who stay well-hydrated appear to be healthier, develop fewer chronic conditions like heart and lung disease, and live longer than those who don’t hydrate sufficiently, according to an National Institutes of Health (NIH) study published in eBioMedicine.
 
Using health data gathered from 11,255 adults over a 30-year period, researchers looked at links between serum sodium levels, which increase with dehydration, and various health outcomes.
 
Adults with serum sodium levels at the higher end of a normal range were more likely to develop chronic conditions, and show signs of advanced biological aging, compared to the more-hydrated general population. These dehydrated adults were also more likely to die at a younger age.
 
“The results suggest that proper hydration may slow down aging and prolong a disease-free life,” said Natalia Dmitrieva, PhD, study author and researcher in the Laboratory of Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of NIH.
 
The study expands on prior research the team published in March 2022, which found links between higher serum sodium levels and an increased heart failure risk. Both findings came from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. The first ARIC sub-study started in 1987 and has helped researchers better understand risk factors for heart disease, while shaping clinical guidelines for its treatment and prevention.
 
Results
 
In the latest analysis, researchers assessed information that ARIC participants shared during five medical visits, including two in their fifties, and the last visit taking place between the age of 70 and 90. Researchers excluded adults who had high serum sodium at baseline check-ins or with underlying conditions like obesity.
 
Adults with higher levels of normal serum sodium, with normal ranges falling between 135 and 146 mEq/L, were more likely to show faster signs of biological aging, based on 15 health markers including systolic blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, and other indicators of cardiovascular health, lung function, immune function, and inflammation.
 
Adults with serum sodium levels above 142 mEq/L had a 10-15% associated increased odds of being biologically older than their chronological age compared to ranges between 137-142 mEq/L. Levels above 144 mEq/L correlated with a 50% increase. Likewise, levels between 144.5-146 mEq/L were associated with a 21$ increased risk of premature death compared to ranges between 137-148 mEq/L.
 
Adults with serum sodium levels above 142 mEq/L had a 39% increased associated risk for developing one of the chronic diseases assessed, including heart failure, stroke, atrial fibrillation, peripheral artery disease, chronic lung disease, diabetes, and dementia. Adults with serum sodium levels between 138 and 140 mEq/L had the lowest risk of developing a chronic disease.
 
While the findings don’t provide a casual effect, the associations can still inform clinical practice, and randomized controlled trials will be necessary to determine if optimal hydration can promote healthy aging and disease prevention.
 
“On the global level, this can have a big impact,” Dmitrieva said. “Decreased body water content is the most common factor that increases serum sodium, which is why the results suggest that staying well hydrated may slow down the aging process and prevent or delay chronic disease.”