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Reducing Sodium in the Global Food Supply to Reduce Population Burden of Cardiovascular Disease

  • Cardiovascular Risk Health Policy (W Rosamond, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Populations around the world are consuming salt in quantities that far exceed physiological requirements. In view of the association of a high salt intake with hypertension, cardiovascular and kidney disease, many countries have introduced population-based recommendations and initiatives to reduce salt intake. Salt reduction is recognised as one of the most cost-effective public health strategies that a country can make in reducing the growing burden of non-communicable diseases. As such, the World Health Organisation has recommended salt reduction as one of the top three priority actions to tackle the non-communicable disease crisis. At the recent World Health Assembly, it was unanimously agreed that all countries should reduce their salt intake by 30 % towards a target of 5 g/day, by 2025. Many countries are now looking to follow in the footsteps of the UK, who are considered world leaders in this area.

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Compliance with Ethics Guidelines

Conflict of Interest

Kawther Hashem and Sonia Pombo-Rodrigues are employed by Consensus Action on Salt and Health. Simon Capewell is a member of Consensus Action on Salt and Health.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK

    Kawther M. Hashem & Sonia Pombo-Rodrigues

  2. Department of Public Health and Policy, Institute of Psychology, Health and Society, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK

    Simon Capewell

Authors
  1. Kawther M. Hashem
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  2. Sonia Pombo-Rodrigues
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  3. Simon Capewell
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kawther M. Hashem.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Cardiovascular Risk Health Policy

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Hashem, K.M., Pombo-Rodrigues, S. & Capewell, S. Reducing Sodium in the Global Food Supply to Reduce Population Burden of Cardiovascular Disease. Curr Cardiovasc Risk Rep 9, 7 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12170-014-0435-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12170-014-0435-0

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