Salt cuts, blood pressure gains

Reduced salt intake made an important contribution to the decline in blood pressure between 2003 and 2011, according to a new analysis of the Health Survey for England.

Between 2003 and 2011, stroke mortality in England declined by 42% and deaths from ischaemic heart disease fell by 40%. Average body mass index (BMI) rose by 0.5kg/m2 during this time. However, several other risk factors improved. For instance, average cholesterol declined by 0.4 mmol/L, the proportion of the population who smoked declined from 19% to 14%, while fruit and vegetable consumption increased by 0.2 portions a day. Meanwhile, salt intake decreased by 1.4 g a day, a 15% reduction.