Novartis highlights hypertension risks:
• This World Hypertension Day, Novartis warns of unhealthy habits that raise your blood pressure
Johannesburg, 17 May, 2017 – The old adage ‘take it with a pinch of salt’ is meant to be a positive one – implying that a pinch of salt is of little consequence. But for those with high blood pressure and chronic heart conditions, that pinch of salt could be enough to push your daily salt intake into dangerous territory.
Dr Thomas Kowallik, CEO and Country President of Novartis South Africa, says excessive salt intake is one of several factors increasing the risk of hypertension (high blood pressure). “World Hypertension Day on 17 May seeks to raise awareness of the health risks associated with hypertension, and the steps people can take to lower their risks of developing hypertension.”
According to the International Society of Hypertension, hypertension is the major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and was named ‘the number one killer’ by the World Health Organization (WHO) in The World Health Report in 2002. People with hypertension have a four times higher risk of stroke and twice the risk of myocardial infarction (a heart attack) of those with normal blood pressure, says the Society. Lifestyle factors, such as physical inactivity, a salt-rich diet with highly processed and fatty foods, and alcohol and tobacco use, are cited as reasons for the rapid increase in the number of people with hypertension worldwide1.
“South Africans have unacceptably high levels of hypertension, with up to 30% of adults known to be hypertensive2. High salt consumption is a key driver of hypertension, and there is strong evidence to indicate that South Africans consume up to 2-3 times the recommended daily allowance of 5 g,” says Kowallik.
“Salt from processed food makes up as much as 75% of total salt intake in high-income countries3. South Africans tend to follow international trends to include unhealthy processed foods in their diet, and on top of that, they season their meals with liberal sprinklings of salt. This is dangerous behavior, particularly among those with high blood pressure or heart disease,” says Kowallik. He notes that the Department of Health’s salt reduction targets for 2013 – 2019, along with increased awareness among consumers, could help reduce deaths and chronic illness caused by hypertension in South Africa.
According to World Action on Salt and Health, a high salt intake is associated with raised blood pressure, which is a major cause of cardiovascular disease, responsible for 62% of stroke and 49% of coronary heart disease4.
There is also considerable evidence that the onset of heart failure could be delayed or even prevented by modifying risk factors and controlling hypertension5 p18, and a reduction in sodium intake reduces blood pressure in people both with and without hypertension5.
“Studies have found a significant association between sodium intake and all stroke, fatal stroke, and fatal coronary heart disease events6 P8. Clearly, it is important to restrict salt intake to healthy levels to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, and for patients at risk of stroke or coronary heart disease to be particularly careful to follow their doctors’ guidelines on sodium intake,” says Kowallik. “However, this does not mean one should eliminate all salt from one’s diet. Sodium is an essential nutrient, required for normal physiological function7 P1.”
People with, or considered at risk, of stroke or heart disease should take extra care to ensure that they keep their salt intake well below the recommended maximum of 5g a day4.
References:
- http://ish-world.com/public/background-info.htm
- JEMDSA 2015 Volume 20 No 1: Salt Intake in SA: A current perspective.
- JEMDSA 2015 Volume 20 No 1: Salt Intake in SA: A current perspective.
- http://www.worldactiononsalt.com/salthealth/factsheets/stroke/. Last accessed 13/02/17
- 2016 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure Guidelines: The Task Force for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) P18
- Effect of lower sodium intake on health: systematic review and meta-analyses [OPEN ACCESS]:Nancy J Aburto scientist, Anna Ziolkovska intern, Lee Hooper senior lecturer in research synthesis and nutrition, Paul Elliott professor, Francesco P Cappuccio Cephalon professor of cardiovascular medicine and epidemiology, Joerg J Meerpohl deputy director: BMJ 2013;346:f1326 doi: 10.1136/bmj.f1326 (Published 5 April 2013) P8
- Hypertension Compendium: Sodium Intake and Cardiovascular Health: Martin O’Donnell, Andrew Mente, Salim Yusuf. Downloaded from http://circres.ahajournals.org/ on February 12, 2017 P
