Heart DiseaseUp to 900 lives could be saved every year if Irish people reduced their salt intake by just 3g per day, a conference in Dublin will be told today.warns of hidden dangers in foods with high levels of sodiumHeart disease
The reduction, according to the Irish Heart Foundation (IHF), would also lead to a significant fall in the number of people presenting for treatment for heart attacks and stroke, thus reducing the burden on the health service.
Details of how and why salt intake should be reduced are contained in a new draft position paper on 'Salt, Blood Pressure and Heart Disease' which has been drawn up by the IHF. It will be discussed at the conference attended by IHF and food industry representatives in the Westbury Hotel.
There is now convincing evidence that sodium intake, mainly through dietary salt, is directly associated with blood pressure, the paper warns. The association is stronger in those with hypertension (raised blood pressure) and in older and black individuals.
"The evidence is building that on a population-wide basis, a relatively modest reduction in salt intake has important beneficial effects on blood pressure... this would produce substantial falls in stroke and coronary heart disease mortality," it states.
"For example, it is estimated that in Ireland an average reduction of systolic blood pressure of 5 mmHg, achieved by a reduction in salt consumption of 3g per day, would reduce the incidence of stroke by 13 per cent and the incidence of coronary heart disease by 10 per cent.
"This would amount to a reduction of approximately 900 deaths per year, with commensurate falls in the number of people presenting with either heart attack or stroke," it adds.
Most people have very little control over the amount of salt they consume as up to 80 per cent of it is coming from processed foods. Some 5 per cent of salt occurs naturally in food and only about 10-15 per cent of salt intake is discretionary.
Because of this, the IHF plans to campaign for the introduction of standardised labelling on all food products. The Republic has fallen behind the UK in this regard. There, labels on food products enable consumers gauge whether the level of energy, fat, saturated fat, sugar, salt and dietary fibre in products is high, medium or low.
Salt intake in many countries is between 9-12g per day and there is evidence children are eating as much salt as adults though they require only half to one-third of what is recommended for adults. The IHF's revised nutrition policy, to be published later this year, recommends no more than 6g per day, the equivalent of one teaspoon full. This is in line with the recommendation issued recently by the UK government's Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition.
The IHF wants a national nutrition policy setting out clear guidelines on salt for consumers. It also wants to engage with food producers, manufacturers and retailers to encourage them to reassess the salt content of their food and encourage a reduction in it over time. This has been possible in Finland. The IHF says commercial practices by food and drink companies in schools, such as installing vending machines, advertising and sponsorship should be controlled.
Prof Ivan Perry, a member of the IHF's blood pressure council, said most heart attacks and strokes occurred among the large mass of people with slightly raised blood pressure and this was why a reduction in salt intake could have such a dramatic effect on mortality. "If we could persuade the entire population to reduce their salt intake, that would shift blood pressure to a lower level," he said.
"It comes from the core public health principle that if large numbers of people are exposed to a small increase in risk, you get more deaths than if you have small numbers exposed to a high risk," he added.
The major sources of salt were bread and cereals, some of which, he claimed, have "sea levels" of salt. Other risk factors for high blood pressure include obesity, lack of exercise and alcohol but Prof Perry said salt intake was something that could be easily addressed if "there is the political will to do so".