Government urging for salt reduction may have big effect on health

Government-supported policies to reduce people's salt consumption are highly cost-effective worldwide, a new study reports.

"We know that excess dietary salt causes hundreds of thousands of cardiovascular deaths each year," said study senior author Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian. He's dean of Tufts University's Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy in Boston.

WHO: Eating Less Salt Can Save Lives

GENEVA—The World Health Organization (WHO) says up to two million deaths a year could be prevented simply by reducing salt consumption.  In the lead up to World Heart Day on September 29, WHO is calling on countries to take action on the overuse of salt, which can cause heart disease and stroke. WHO reports non-communicable diseases, including heart disease and stroke, are the leading causes of premature death globally.  These two cardiovascular diseases account for 17 and one half million deaths a year.