NEJM: Low sodium salt to prevent stroke

Both the increase in sodium intake and the decrease in potassium intake are associated with an increased risk of hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and premature death

The Salt Substitution and Stroke Study (SSaSS) compared the effects of reducing salt substitutes and conventional salt on stroke, cardiovascular events, mortality, and clinical hyperkalemia.

Pilot projects were carried out in 600 rural areas in five provinces of China

Participants in the intervention village received a free salt substitute (approximately 75% sodium chloride and 25% potassium chloride) as a substitute for ordinary salt, and were advised to use it in all cooking, seasoning and food preservation

The average age of the participants was 65.

In an average of 4.

In terms of secondary results, salt replacement reduced major cardiovascular events (non-fatal stroke, non-fatal acute coronary syndrome, vascular death) (49.

In terms of safety, compared with ordinary salt, the clinical hyperkalemia of salt substitutes did not increase the risk of serious adverse events (3.

Professor Bruce Neal, the lead researcher of the George Institute for Global Health in Sydney, Australia, said: "This study provides clear evidence for an intervention that can be implemented quickly and at a very low cost

He added: "The results of the trial are particularly exciting, because salt substitution is one of the few practical ways to change people's consumption of salt

"The important thing is that salt substitutes are easy to make and not expensive

Journal Reference :

1. Bruce Neal, Yangfeng Wu, Xiangxian Feng, Ruijuan Zhang, Yuhong Zhang, Jingpu Shi, Jianxin Zhang, Maoyi Tian, ​​Liping Huang, Zhifang Li, Yan Yu, Yi Zhao, Bo Zhou, Jixin Sun, Yishu Liu, Xuejun Yin, Zhixin Hao , Jie Yu, Ka-Chun Li, Xinyi Zhang, Peifen Duan, Faxuan Wang, Bing Ma, Weiwei Shi, Gian Luca Di Tanna, Sandrine Stepien, Sana Shan, Sallie-Anne Pearson, Nicole Li, Lijing L.