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World Action on Salt. Sugar & Health

Research suggesting a low salt diet may increase the risks of cardiovascular disease has questioned current drives to reduce salt intakes - however experts from the UK and USA have been quick to dismiss the study as 'flawed'

Published:

May 2011

The new study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), examined health outcomes related to salt intake, including the incidence of death, illness and hypertension in relation to measures of urinary sodium excretion.

The research reported that lower sodium excretion was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular death, while higher sodium excretion did not correspond with increased risk of hypertension or cardiovascular disease complications.

The new JAMA study has already come in for some criticism for its poor methodology.

Prof MacGregor, of the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, and chairman of CASH explained that the paper has "what appear to be severe methodological problems", adding that "it is difficult to critically assess this paper."

In addition, officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) felt so strongly that the study was flawed that they criticized it in an interview with the New York Times – something they normally do not do.

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