For decades, sodium restriction has been treated as a cornerstone of heart failure self-care—despite limited trial-quality evidence. In this episode of Heart Failure Beat, Dr. Tariq Ahmad (Yale School of Medicine; Associate Editor, JACC: Heart Failure) joins hosts Michael Beasley, MD, and Priya Umapathi, MD, to unpack what we actually know about sodium targets in hospitalized and outpatient heart failure. They discuss why inpatient studies have been inconsistent, why a VA-commissioned review concluded sodium restriction for admitted HF patients is not supported, and how focusing on “dietary indiscretion” can distract from evidence-based priorities like GDMT. Dr. Ahmad also previews the pragmatic, EHR-embedded SOAR-AHF trial designed to compare regular vs low-sodium hospital diets and measure outcomes like length of stay and readmissions.