sodium reduction

40% Decrease in Heart Disease by Cutting Daily Salt Intake

Researchers in England report a 40% decline in heart disease and stroke since 2003 and suggest that a 15% fall in dietary salt intake may have played a key contributing role.1

To conduct a nationwide meta-analysis, researchers studied data from 31,500 participants of the Health Survey for England in the years 2003, 2006, 2008, and 2011. The survey involves a random representative sample of the adult population of England living in private homes and includes information on diet and blood pressure.
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A United Kingdom-wide initiative to curb salt intake began in 2003.

For the study, almost 3000 samples of urine were collected over a 24-hour period and analyzed for salt intake. Salt intake decreased by 1.4 g/d—amounting to an overall drop of 15%.

From 2003 to 2011, mortality rates due to stroke and coronary heart disease decreased by 42% and 40%, respectively.

Furthermore, there was a drop in the prevalence of several risk factors for cardiovascular disease including cholesterol (decrease of 0.4 mmol/L), blood pressure (decrease of 3/1 mm Hg), and smoking (19% to 14%). Fruit and vegetable consumption rose slightly, as did the average weight (BMI).

Researchers concluded that all these factors, with the exception of BMI, along with treatments contributed to the fall in stroke and heart disease mortality. 

Individuals not on blood pressure lowering medication reported an average blood pressure drop of 2.7/1.1 mm Hg. Salt intake was not measured for this particular group.

These study results come 2 weeks after Danish researchers found that 5000 mg of daily sodium was ok for the heart.2 The American Heart Association openly criticized the Danish researchers for flawed data and reiterated the need to limit sodium intake.3

References:

  1. He F, Pombo-Rodrigues S, MacGregor G. Salt reduction in England from 2003 to 2011: its relationship to blood pressure, stroke, and ischaemic heart disease mortality. 2014 Apr 14 [epub ahead of print]
  2. Graudal N, Jurgens G, Baslund B, Alderman MH. Compared with usual sodium intake, low- and excessive-sodium diets are associated with increased mortality: a meta-analysis. Am J Hypertens. 2014 Mar 20. [epub ahead of print]
  3. American Heart Assocaition. Reduced salt intake critical, American Heart Association says. 2014 Apr 1. Available at: http://blog.heart.org/reduced-salt-intake-critical-american-heart-association-says/. Accessed April 14, 2014.