RESEARCH - Cutting salt reduces risk of premature death

[Guest guest]

Cutting salt 'reduces risk of premature death'

Polly Curtis, health correspondent

Friday April 20, 2007

Guardian Unlimited

Scientists have offered the first concrete evidence that a high sodium diet

is linked to increased heart attacks, stroke and death in research published

today.

A salty diet has long been linked to increased blood pressure, but despite

connections between higher blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases, there

has so far been no conclusive evidence that it causes people to die earlier.

A 15-year study of people's salt intake and health, published in the British

Medical Journal, revealed that those who ate less salty food were found to

have a 25% lower risk of cardiac arrest or stroke and a 20% lower risk of

premature death.

" Our study provides unique evidence that sodium reduction might prevent

cardiovascular disease, and should dispel any residual concern that sodium

reduction might be harmful, " the report said.

The research has provided the strongest objective evidence to date that

lowering the amount of salt in the diet reduces the long-term risk of future

cardiovascular disease, it added.

Although that has long been accepted, and government guidelines are based on

it, some in the food and salt industry have disputed it.

Researchers followed up participants from two trials carried out in the

nineties to analyse the effect that reducing salt in the diet had on blood

pressure.

All the participants had raised blood pressure and were therefore at greater

risk of developing cardiovascular disease. 744 people participated in the

first trial of hypertension prevention, completed in 1990, and 2,382 in the

second, which ended in 1995.

In both, participants reduced their sodium intake by approximately 25% to

35% alongside a group who did not cut back their intake. By 1995, those who

decreased their salt intake were significantly less like to have developed

heart disease or a stroke or have died.

Ellen Mason, of the British Heart Foundation, said: " This study offers

further observational evidence of strokes and heart attacks being linked to

high salt intake.

" Salt intake amongst many adults and children in Britain is way too high.

Salt can cause high blood pressure - which is a major risk factor for

coronary heart disease - so we've all got to become detectives on the trail

of this hidden killer.

" Many people could lower the level of salt in their diet by reducing the

amount of processed food they eat. Also, by simply checking the labels and

switching to a lower salt option, you'll be doing your heart a favour. "

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Not an MD