A new study suggests that by cutting a slim 1 gram of salt from daily intake could ward off an estimated 9 million cases of strokes and heart disease.
They also believe this could help to save 4 million lives by 2030.
Currently, China has one of the highest salt intakes in the world, with their population averaging an intake of 11 grams a day.
This amount is over twice the recommended daily intake advised by the Chinese government.
High salt intake ramps up blood pressure and the risk of cardiovascular disease too, as a direct consequence.
Cardio vascular disease accounts for 40 per cent of all deaths in China each year.
The research team plan to estimate the gains in health that could be achieved by reducing salt intake across the nation, with the aim of helping to inform the development of a doable salt reduction programme.
The team compiled the latest and most accurate figures for population size, salt intake, blood pressure and disease rates by age and region.
They then estimated the impact on cardiovascular health for 3 different approaches.
The first approach was a 1g reduction in daily salt intake, with a goal of this being achieved in the space of a year.
The second was the World Health Organisation’s interim target of a 30 per cent reduction by 2025, which equals a reduction of 3.2g per day.
The third was reducing salt intake to less than 5g per day by 2030, which is the target set by Chinese government in its action plan ‘Healthy China 2030’ which focuses on health and development.
Researchers estimated the decline in systolic blood pressure, which is the higher number in a blood pressure reading, which indicates the force at which the heart pumps blood around the body.
A high reading comes with the subsequent risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease deaths.
By introducing a 1g reduction of salt, it should help blood pressure to decline by 1.2 mmHg.
If this reduction was to be achieved within one year and sustain onwards, an estimated 9 million cases of stroke and heart disease have the potential to be prevented by 2030, with 4 million of them being fatal.
Furthermore, keeping this reduction rate for another 10 years could add up to 13 million cases of stroke and heart attack being prevented, with 6 million of them being fatal.
If they are able to achieve WHO’s interim target of 3.2g reduction of salt intake by 2025, with a maintain in that reduction of a further five years, a cumulative total of 14 million cases of stroke and heart disease could be prevented by 2030, with 6 million of them being fatal.
To achieve the target set out in ‘Health China 2030’ a reduction of 6g in daily salt intake would need to be required and maintained.
This would lead to a reduction in average systolic blood pressure by just over 7 mmHg, which would add up to 17 million of stroke and heart disease cases being prevented, with 8 million of them being fatal.
The researchers state that the reduction in salt intake would apply to diets of all of its citizens.
The reduction of salt intake may also offer other health benefits, however, the lack of relevant data meant the research team could not make any estimations.
The research team say: “The Chinese government’s action plan ‘Healthy China 2030’ includes nutritional recommendations to reduce the intake of salt, sugar and oil.
“This modelling study shows that salt reduction alone could bring enormous health benefits to the entire population of China,”
Although the team believes the goal of 1g in reduction of salt intake “would be easily achievable.”
They highlight that: “Our estimates rely on salt reductions to not only be achieved, but also sustained over time, which may be a great challenge given the fast-changing dietary patterns seen in China given its rapid urbanisation.”
The conclusions made by the research team from the study state: “The evidence for the substantial benefits of salt reduction in China is consistent and compelling.
“Achieving and sustaining population salt reduction in China could prevent millions of unnecessary cardiovascular events and deaths.
“Given the sheer size of the Chinese population, this would also bring major benefits to global health.”
