Excess sodium intake linked to 1.65 million deaths annually

[okarol]

Excess sodium intake linked to 1.65 million deaths annually
Salt
Debate continues over what level of sodium intake would be healthiest for all, but a new study suggests that current worldwide levels are too high, and attributes 1.65 million deaths yearly to excessive sodium intake. (Katie Falkenberg / For The Times)
By MELISSA HEALY contact the reporter Nutrition ResearchMedical ResearchColleges and UniversitiesDiseases and IllnessesHarvard UniversityUniversity of Alabama

Is it too early to try limiting salt? 1.65 million deaths yearly would suggest not, but debate continues
U.S., Canada and Europe aren't nearly the highest in sodium consumption, or deaths: Georgia and Ukraine are
Does too much salt=high blood pressure=higher risk of heart attack and stroke? Not for all
Across the world, the excessive consumption of sodium--hiding in breads, soups and snack foods and beckoning from salt shakers everywhere--is the cause of some 1.65 million deaths by heart disease and strokes yearly, including roughly 667,000 "premature" deaths--those before the age of 70--says a comprehensive new study.

Globally, new research concludes that one in 10 cardiovascular deaths can be attributed to excessive sodium consumption, and one in five of those among people younger than 70.

The study, conducted by an international team led by Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian of Harvard University's School of Public Health, was published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Given the very clear relation between sodium intake and higher blood pressure ... we should be moving toward lower sodium intakes.
- Dr. Walter Willett, Harvard University School of Public Health
An invited editorial touted the study as a "herculean effort" to glean the effects of excess salt consumption in a broad population. But citing the findings of two studies published alongside the global assessment, University of Alabama vascular expert Dr. Suzanne Oparil declared it too early for public health officials to take up the cudgels against dietary sodium.

Daily sodium intake averaged 3.95 grams per day across the globe, and ranged upward to 5.15 grams, Mozaffarian's team found. That level of consumption is well above the range that experts for the Institute of Medicine have concluded is ideal--as little as 1.5 grams per day for those with high blood pressure (as well as diabetics, African Americans and those 50 and older) and as much as 2.3 grams for all others.

Diets high in sodium claimed their highest tolls in a band stretching from the countries of Georgia and the Ukraine and across Central Asia to Russia, Mongolia and China, with slightly lower death rates throughout Asia, the study found. It was lowest in Central America and the Horn of Africa.

The United States, Canada and Europe, where public health campaigns aimed at reducing sodium in foods are already underway, lay roughly at the global midpoint, with just more than 300 deaths per million attributed to high sodium intake.

The study's seemingly dramatic findings, however, belie continuing controversy over the value of efforts to reduce sodium intake across whole populations.
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Melissa Healy, Los Angeles Times
Among the points of contention is whether diets high in salt cause healthy people to develop high blood pressure or merely exacerbate the condition in those who have it. In contemplating measures to reduce the sodium content in everyday foods, public health officials are also wary of causing harm to patients, including those with heart failure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease, for whom a diet very low in sodium can cause complications and lead to death.

Clinical trials have demonstrated that subjects who reduced their sodium intake lowered their blood pressure. But despite extensive research, debate and efforts at expert consensus, the value of broad sodium-reduction campaigns--as well as the targets such campaigns should aim to reach--remain controversial.

A pair of studies published alongside the global assessment underscore the suspicion that, in broad populations, the relationship between sodium intake, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and death may be quite complicated.

One study published Wednesday found a tenuous connection between sodium intake and hypertension. A second study found that over a roughly 3 1/2 year period, those ingesting between 3 and 6 grams of sodium daily--a span that reflects the global range of sodium intake--were less likely to die or suffer a heart attack or stroke than were those who consumed diets higher or lower in sodium.

In addition, both studies suggested that for some, dietary intake of the mineral potassium may play a role in reducing excessive sodium's ill effects.

The two studies appearing alongside the global assessment were conducted by researchers at McMaster University's Population Health Research Institute in Ontario, Canada. Both measured, by indirect means, the sodium-intake levels of more than 100,000 people from at least 17 countries.


In the first of those studies, the link between levels of sodium intake and hypertension was most evident in older subjects, in those who had the highest sodium intake, and in subjects who had hypertension. But in people who fell outside of these groups, researchers found little discernible pattern: a diet that was moderately high in salt--just under 3 grams a day--was not clearly linked to high blood pressure in this study. And those consuming between 3 and 5 grams of sodium daily were only slightly more likely to have hypertension.

Those findings led Dr. Oparil, writing in the New England Journal of Medicine, to conclude that more study is needed before public health campaigns aimed specifically at reducing sodium intake can be safely launched.

The three articles "highlight the need to collect high-quality evidence on both the risks and the benefits of low-sodium diets," Oparil wrote in an editorial published by NEJM Wednesday. Until clinical trials better flesh out the relationship among dietary sodium, potassium, hypertension and cardiovascular disease, she wrote, "the results argue against a reduction of dietary sodium as an isolated public health recommendation."

That conclusion drew criticism from one public health expert who has worked with food manufacturing giants to reduce sodium content in widely-consumed processed foods.

"Given the very clear relation between sodium intake and higher blood pressure, and evidence that reducing intakes reduces risk of cardiovascular disease, I think the new findings do not change the basic conclusion that we should be moving toward lower sodium intakes," said Dr. Walter Willett of Harvard University's School of Public Health, who was not involved in any of the newly-published studies.

"The exact optimal intake is not clear. There is no question that some sodium is essential," Willet added. As a result, he said, "while we move toward lower intakes, we should be conducting additional research to better define the optimal level."

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-excess-sodium-intake-20140813-story.html

[PrimeTimer]

I think people would be surprised at how quickly you can get use to not adding salt (or margarine and butter for that matter) to everything. Only takes about a week or so to get use to it. Of course, for health reasons, some salt/iodine is necessary. But you'd be surprised how "salty" foods taste even without adding salt to them. Funny, seemingly out of the blue lately I've been wanting salt and realized I do not have any! Because of my husband being a diabetic with high blood pressure and on dialysis, I haven't been adding salt to any of our meals. I use a variety of "salt-free" seasonings. I don't know if the heat of the summer and the fact that I am sweating and drinking more water has anything to do with it but these past few days I have been wanting salt on things and keep forgetting to pick some up at the store. I remember the old family doc once saying that usually when we crave something it is our body's way of telling us what we need to eat. Of course, I don't think he meant for this to be applied to chocolate cookies or pizza or french fries or....  lol

[talker]

Do use sea salt, in place of regular salt.
Yup, do smoother a baked potato with real butter and a light shake of sea salt     
In the main, I feel that far to many diet restrictions, are contributing to some medical conditions that many people experience.
Right or wrong, I avoid any product that says: Diet, Low fat, Sugar free, etc, etc.
Of course 'moderation' is my key word, in that there is no over indulgence in any of my eating habits.   

http://www.thetalker.org/archives/333/41-thoughts-on-addictions-habits-and-craves/
At the bootom of the above post, was:

My further thoughts are:
Have noticed and with interest observed ones “craving” become an eating binge. Lack of specific nutrients within ones body, will trigger hunger pangs. Over the course of my “Nows”, have noticed those hunger pangs are temporarily diminished by indulging in some edible product. A specific nutrient lack may or may not have been sufficient enough to quell the crave of hunger. So back to the edibles and perhaps an overindulgence binge takes place. As my curiosity grew, ‘in why am I still hungry when I just ate’, I did many little crazy quirky experiments. The words addiction, habits, and cravings took on new meaning to me. Points of observation were: some eat based on time periods (habits). Some had to have certain edibles on a daily basis (addiction). Some indulged heavily on specific edibles and or sweets (cravings). Then entered the observation, that those individuals ranged in weight, ( for a given height) seemingly average, stout, plump and greatly overweight. Will leave out many thoughts and experiences or this will become book like in length. Diet, metabolism, fats, amino acids, proteins, and eicosanoids were all part of my questioning the “why” of it all. In keeping with shortening this post, will relate the humerus side of one of those mentioned experiments.
There I am, standing in front of the reefer ( refrigerator), one hand holding the reefer door open, the other hand moving items about to see what they were. I’m asked by a family member “what are you looking for?”. My reply is “I really don’t know, but will know when I see it”. Here the funny part really kicked in, when I would squirt some ketchup or mustard on my finger and taste it. Spoon a bit of pickle, or left over gravy, or even a spoonful of milk, a shot of Tabasco sauce. This would go on until, wow, the what ever it was that I had just tasted, put out the “crave” feeling. Would at that point, read the ingredient list, to help determine what the “crave quencher” was. This led to more investigation and in great depth, to vitamins, minerals, amino acids and so on. Now, this didn’t answer all the questions, but did set the tempo for further personal research purposes and corrective actions.

[PrimeTimer]

I know it's suppose to be better for us but I cannot stand sea salt. Seems they are putting it in everything. I swear, it tastes like saltwater and altho I like seafood, I don't like "tasting" seafood if I am having toast. Or biting into beef or veggies for that matter. I'd kill for some salmon, just not with eggs or toast. Go figure. 

[kristina]

I never use any salt in anything I cook and I never buy any "ready made" food and have noticed,
that my salt-levels in my blood are always on the low side, but always still within normality,
because many fresh vegetables and fresh fruit do have "natural salt" in them anyway...