(February 17, 2010 - Insidermedicine)

Among Americans, reducing salt intake by an achievable 3 g daily has similar cardiovascular benefits as reducing tobacco use, obesity and cholesterol levels, according to research published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Here are some recommendations to help patients make lifestyle changes that can help prevent cardiovascular disease, from the European Society of Cardiology:

•    Ensure the patient understands the relationship between lifestyle and disease

•    Involve the patient in identifying the risk factors to change

•    Explore potential barriers to change

Researchers out of the University of California at San Francisco used the Coronary Heart Disease Policy Model to quantify the benefits of a population-wide reduction in dietary salt of up to 3 g per day, or 1,200 mg of sodium per day. They then calculated the cost-effectiveness of reducing salt intake by estimating its effects on rates and costs of cardiovascular disease, based on age, sex, and race, and compared these with the costs of other interventions designed to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Reducing salt intake by 3 g per day was estimated to reduce the annual number of new cases of cardiovascular disease by 60,000 to 120,000, stroke by 32,000 to 66,000, and myocardial infarction (MI) by 54,000 to 99,000. It was also estimated to reduce annual number of deaths from all causes by 44,000 to 92,000. While all segments of the population would benefit from salt reduction, the effect on the risk of specific health events varied by age, sex, and race. Regulatory intervention designed to reduce salt intake would be cost effective even if it reduced it by only 1 g, but a 3 g reduction would save 194,000 to 392,000 quality-adjusted life-years and $10 billion to $24 billion in health care costs annually.

Today’s research suggests that nationwide public health policy should make reducing population-wide salt intake a priority.