BACKGROUND: Excessive salt intake has been associated with hypertension and increased cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality. Reducing salt intake is considered an important public health strategy in the Netherlands. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to evaluate the health benefits of salt-reduction strategies related to processed foods for the Dutch population. DESIGN: Three salt-reduction scenarios were developed: 1) substitution of high-salt foods with low-salt foods, 2) a reduction in the sodium content of processed foods, and 3) adherence to the recommended maximum salt intake of 6 g/d. Health outcomes were obtained in 2 steps: after salt intake was modeled into blood pressure levels, the Chronic Disease Model was used to translate modeled blood pressures into incidences of cardiovascular diseases, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), and life expectancies. Health outcomes of the scenarios were compared with health outcomes obtained with current salt intake. RESULTS: In total, 4.8% of acute myocardial infarction cases, 1.7% of congestive heart failure cases, and 5.8% of stroke cases might be prevented if salt intake meets the recommended maximum intake. The burden of disease might be reduced by 56,400 DALYs, and life expectancy might increase by 0.15 y for a 40-y-old individual. Substitution of foods with comparable low-salt alternatives would lead to slightly higher salt intake reductions and thus to more health gain. The estimates for sodium reduction in processed foods would be slightly lower. CONCLUSION: Substantial health benefits might be achieved when added salt is removed from processed foods and when consumers choose more low-salt food alternatives.
BACKGROUND: Excessive salt intake has been associated with hypertension and increased cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality. Reducing salt intake is considered an important public health strategy in the Netherlands. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to evaluate the health benefits of salt-reduction strategies related to processed foods for the Dutch population. DESIGN: Three salt-reduction scenarios were developed: 1) substitution of high-salt foods with low-salt foods, 2) a reduction in the sodium content of processed foods, and 3) adherence to the recommended maximum salt intake of 6 g/d. Health outcomes were obtained in 2 steps: after salt intake was modeled into blood pressure levels, the Chronic Disease Model was used to translate modeled blood pressures into incidences of cardiovascular diseases, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), and life expectancies. Health outcomes of the scenarios were compared with health outcomes obtained with current salt intake. RESULTS: In total, 4.8% of acute myocardial infarction cases, 1.7% of congestive heart failure cases, and 5.8% of stroke cases might be prevented if salt intake meets the recommended maximum intake. The burden of disease might be reduced by 56,400 DALYs, and life expectancy might increase by 0.15 y for a 40-y-old individual. Substitution of foods with comparable low-salt alternatives would lead to slightly higher salt intake reductions and thus to more health gain. The estimates for sodium reduction in processed foods would be slightly lower. CONCLUSION: Substantial health benefits might be achieved when added salt is removed from processed foods and when consumers choose more low-salt food alternatives.
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Authors: Marieke A H Hendriksen; Joop M A van Raaij; Johanna M Geleijnse; Joao Breda; Hendriek C Boshuizen Journal: PLoS One Date: 2015-03-31 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Marieke A H Hendriksen; Johanna M Geleijnse; Joop M A van Raaij; Francesco P Cappuccio; Linda C Cobiac; Peter Scarborough; Wilma J Nusselder; Abbygail Jaccard; Hendriek C Boshuizen Journal: PLoS One Date: 2017-11-28 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Lirije Hyseni; Alex Elliot-Green; Ffion Lloyd-Williams; Chris Kypridemos; Martin O'Flaherty; Rory McGill; Lois Orton; Helen Bromley; Francesco P Cappuccio; Simon Capewell Journal: PLoS One Date: 2017-05-18 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Haroldo S Ferreira; Glícia Maris A Lúcio; Monica L Assunção; Bárbara Coelho V Silva; Juliana S Oliveira; Telma Maria M T Florêncio; Amandio Aristides R Geraldes; Bernardo L Horta Journal: PLoS One Date: 2015-11-23 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Nick Wilson; Nhung Nghiem; Helen Eyles; Cliona Ni Mhurchu; Emma Shields; Linda J Cobiac; Christine L Cleghorn; Tony Blakely Journal: Nutr J Date: 2016-04-26 Impact factor: 3.271