Too little salt may pose CVD risk, suggests study

Low sodium levels may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, say researchers in an observational study, contradicting recent evidence from intervention trials indicating the dangers of too much salt.

The observational study was carried out by researchers from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University in the US and published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
It concluded that those participants in the lowest quartile of salt consumption were 80 per cent more likely to die from cardiovascular disease (CVD) than those in the highest quartile.

The researchers also said there is no evidence that high sodium intake can independently cause, or lead to a higher risk of, heart disease - bringing a new argument to the ongoing debate.

However, numerous scientists would disagree, as many are convinced that high salt intake is responsible for increasing blood pressure (hypertension), a major risk factor for CVD, which causes almost 50 per cent of deaths in Europe.