Low O2 and high salt can lead to vascular problems

A new study out of the University of Queensland, Australia showed a connection between low oxygen during birth, high salt diet later in life, and the development of cardiovascular disease.

Oxygen plays a key role in fetal development and can lead to Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR) when hypoxia happens during the second and third trimester. IUGR has been linked to varied problems later in life such as cereal palsy, cardiovascular dysfunction, kidney dysfunction, and ADHD. This is a common pregnancy complication in humans and can be made worse by smoking or sever sleep apnea. A high salt diet also can add to the risk of cardiovascular dysfunction by thickening arterial walls, which can limit blood flow and cause strokes.

This study was performed on mice whose fetal experience involved a lack of oxygen. These mice were then either fed a normal rodent diet or a diet high in salt. The mice that were fed a high salt diet exhibited degenerative changes in the walls of the aorta and a marked stiffness of the small blood vessels, which is a predictor for future cardiovascular events.

This is important research because we, as Americans, in general eat a diet extremely high in salt. According to the CDC the average American adult consumes more that 3,300 mg of sodium a day more than double the recommended limit. If these adults also where in a low oxygen environment during fetal development they could have a very high casually basis for cardiovascular disease. 

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/300820.php