Background: Increase arterial stiffness may be associated of atheroscleric vasculardiseases. Increase dietary salt intake is known to increase arterial stiffness innormotensive individuals. It was published that arterial stiffness can be used as aprognostic marker of arterial hypertension. However, according to the Bogalusa HeartStudy the relationship between arterial stiffness and arterial hypertension seems to bereciprocalObjective:The aim is to determine the proposed role of high salt intake in increasingarterial stiffness.Subjects and Methods: One hundred and ten normotensive individuals aged 20-30years; all were recruited in the study. They were divided into 2 groups, group-A 57subjects with positive parental history of hypertension and group-B 53 subjects withnegative parental history of hypertension. Systolic, diastolic and pulse pressure weremeasured using standard technique. The elastic properties of ascending aorta and thecommon carotid arteries were assessed using M-mode echo and B-mode imagingrespectively. Pulse wave analysis was detected byphotoplethosomography. Twentyfour hours urinary Na excretion used as measure of dietary salt intake.Results: Both groups showed similar 24 hour urinary Na excretion (Group A median113 vs. group B, 122 p value 0.23) In comparison to group B subjects, Group Asubjects showed higher aortic stiffness index (median for group A 6.36 vs. 4.47 forgroup B, p value 0.002), carotid stiffness index (median for group A 5.1 vs. 4.19 forgroup B, p value 0.001), carotid PWV ( median for group A 5.32 vs. 4.74 for group B,p value ≤ 0.001), stiffness index of digital volume pulse (median for group A 9.64 vs.7.73 for Group B, p value 0.001), SBP (median for group A 130 vs. 120 for group B,p value 0.003) and PP (median for group A 50 vs. 45 for group B, p value 0.032). Incomparison to group B subjects, Group A subjects showed lower aortic distensibility(median for group A 4.1 vs. 6.1 for group B, p value 0.001), aortic strain (median forgroup A 7.01 vs. 10.34 for group B, p value 0.004), changes in aortic diameter(median for group A 0.19 vs. 0.24 for group B, p value 0.022), carotid distension(median for group A 564 vs. 608 for group B, p value 0.026), carotid distensibilitycoefficient (median for group A 0.03 vs. 0.04 for group B, p value ≤ 0.001) andcarotid compliance coefficient (median for group A 1.24 vs. 1.54 for group B, p value0.002).Conclusion: The aortic and carotid stiffness parameters were higher in offspring ofhypertensive parents. The increase in arterial stiffness was not found to be related to familial dietary habits. This led us to conclude that the increase in arterial stiffness inindividuals with family history of hypertension appears to be due to hereditary factorsand not due to familial dietary habit.