Recent Press Releases
CASH submits article on the UK salt reduction success to the FDA
In view of some of the negative comments at the FDA meeting and on the website
about salt, WASH have related recent experience
of a very successful salt reduction strategy in the UK to the FDA. It has resulted in a reduction in salt intake in the UK as
evidenced by random sampling of the adult population and measuring 24 hr urinary
sodium excretion.
WASH welcomes the news that salt intake continues to fall in the UK (July)
Graham MacGregor, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine and Chairman of Consensus Action on Salt and Health ( CASH ) comments on today's announcement that the average UK salt intake has fallen to 8.6 g per day:
This is the most important news that we have heard about health and eating for a long time. Since the start of the salt reduction policy, salt intake has fallen in adults in the UK from 9.5g to 8.6 g per day, i.e. an approximate 10% reduction in the national salt intake. This represents a massive 19,700 tonnes of salt per year that has been removed from the UK diet".
Click here for the full press release
Click here for the FSA press release
EU Salt Reduction Initiative (July)
The European Commission developed an EU framework for National Salt Initiatives. This iinitiative was presented to the Platform on Diet, Physical Activity and Health on 2 July 2008 at a joint meeting with the High Level Group. The goal of this initiative is to contribute towards reduced salt intake at population level in order to achieve the national or WHO recommendations for no more than 5g/day. WASH would like to invite members to contact their country representative to urge their involvement.
Click here for the Introduction
Click here for the Salt Reduction Initiative
Click here for the Members List
Click here for the Co-operation document
WASH Comment on JCIM article (June)
Sodium intake and mortality - Follow-up in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III)
A close examination of the details of this study reveals major concerns in their interpretation of the findings from the study. We feel that the claim that a lower sodium intake is associated with a higher mortality lacks substance. There was no evidence in the paper that a lower sodium intake was associated with a higher cardiovascular disease or all-cause mortality.
Click here for full comment from WASH
High blood pressure causes a fifth of early deaths in the developing world (June)
High blood pressure (HBP) has long been thought of as a problem for high income countries only; however research published in The Lancet concludes that 80% of deaths related to HBP worldwide occur in developing countries. The investigators comment: "Most of the disease burden caused by HBP is borne by low-income and middle-income countries, by people in middle age, and by people with lesser degrees of HBP." If prevention and treatment strategies are restricted to high-income countries only, many blood-pressure related diseases will be missed.