BMJ  2007;334:859-860 (28 April), doi:10.1136/bmj.39175.364954.BE

Editorials

Salt and cardiovascular disease

Reducing intake improves cardiovascular outcomes but few countries have effective policies

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Blood pressure is the most powerful predictor of stroke and other cardiovascular events. The importance of salt (sodium chloride) intake in determining blood pressure and the incidence of hypertension is well established. Furthermore, randomised controlled clinical trials of moderate reductions in salt intake show a dose dependent cause-effect relation and lack of a threshold effect within usual levels of salt intake in populations worldwide.¹ The effect is independent of age, sex, ethnic origin, baseline blood pressure, and body mass.

Prospective studies,^{2 3 4 5} with one exception,⁶ also indicate that higher salt intake predicts the incidence of cardiovascular events. While widespread support exists for reducing salt intake to prevent cardiovascular disease, the lack of large and long randomised trials on the effects of salt reduction on clinical outcomes has encouraged some people to argue against a policy of salt reduction in populations.⁶

In this week's BMJ, Cook and colleagues⁷ report the long . . . [Full text of this article]

Warwick Medical School, Coventry

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This article has been cited by other articles:

• Mimran, A., du Cailar, G. (2008). Dietary sodium: the dark horse amongst cardiovascular and renal risk factors. Nephrol Dial Transplant 23: 2138-2141 [Full text]  
• Cappuccio, F. P (2008). Commentary: Controversies in NICE guidance on lipid modification for the prevention of cardiovascular disease. BMJ 336: 1248-1249 [Full text]  
• (2007). Long-Term Benefits of Dietary Sodium Reduction. Journal Watch Cardiology 2007: 2-2 [Full text]  
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