In China, reducing salt intake by 1 gram per day within one year and maintaining it might prevent regarding 9 million heart disease and stroke patients by 2030, a study has found.
Monique Tan, a senior research team at the National Institute of Heart Research (NIHR) in the United States, published the results of this study in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) on the 16th.
According to the research team, the average salt intake in China is 11g per day, which is the highest in the world. This is more than double the amount recommended by the Chinese government. The Chinese government estimates that 40% of deaths a year are due to cardiovascular disease, which can be caused by high salt intake.
To evaluate the effectiveness of the salt intake reduction program planned by the Chinese government, the research team predicted the cardiovascular disease reduction effect of the reduction amount.
According to the research team, if the daily salt intake is reduced by 1 g within one year and maintained until 2030, the average systolic blood pressure can be lowered by regarding 1.2 mmHg. This might prevent 9 million people suffering from heart disease and stroke. Systolic blood pressure is the pressure exerted on the blood vessels when the heart contracts.
Reducing salt intake by 3.2 grams per day within one year and maintaining it for five years might prevent regarding 14 million heart diseases and strokes by 2030. If it continues through 2040, it is expected that it will have the effect of reducing the number of patients by 27 million.
The research team suggested that the Chinese government’s salt intake reduction program would require a reduction of 6 grams per day within one year to achieve the desired effect. If these eating habits are continued by 2030, it is possible to lower the average systolic blood pressure by more than 7 mmHg and prevent up to 17 million cases of heart disease and stroke.
“Considering the Chinese population, a successful implementation of the salt intake reduction program will be of great benefit to global health in terms of cardiovascular management,” the research team said.
He added, “Reducing salt intake can improve health regardless of age and sex. In addition to heart disease and stroke, it also reduces the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease and the risk of chronic kidney disease and stomach cancer.”
