Combat Strokes and Heart Attacks by Reducing Salt Intake

Many Americans and citizens of Western countries consume an average of about 10 grams of salt a day, nearly double the recommended daily intake as per the World Health Organization (WHO).  Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, from University of California-San Francisco  (UCSF; California, USA), and colleagues completed a computer simulation of heart disease among American adults ages 35 to 84 years, finding that slashing daily salt intake by 3 grams a day may prevent 32,000 strokes and 54,000 heart attacks a year.  Additionally, the team suggests that a mere 1 gram per day reduction in salt over the next decade may serve as a cost-effective strategy for treating hypertension. The researchers submit that: “Modest reductions in dietary salt could substantially reduce cardiovascular events and medical costs and should be a public health target.”