Review Outlines Links Between Salt Intake and Heart Health.

A recent New England Journal of Medicine review cites strong evidence that lowering salt intake causes decreased blood pressure in individuals with hypertension, while less profound evidence links salt intake and blood pressure in non-hypertensive individuals. Recent studies have also demonstrated that reduced salt intake is associated with decreased cardiovascular disease and decreased mortality. National salt-reduction programs in Finland and Great Britain have led to decreased sodium intake, and in Finland, resulting decreases in blood pressure levels corresponded to a 75% to 80% decrease in death due to stroke and/or coronary heart disease.