Substituting even a bit of regular salt can reduce stroke, heart attack

Replacing table salt with a low-sodium substitute lowers the risk of stroke and other cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks as well as death, Medscape reports. Scientists gave nearly 12,000 people in China, who were either older than 60 and had high blood pressure or had a history of stroke, regular salt or 70% salt with a salt substitute (potassium chloride). After 5 years, those who used the salt substitute were 14% less likely to have a stroke, 13% less likely to experience a major cardiovascular problem, and 12% less likely to die of any cause, the team reported yesterday in The New England Journal of Medicine. Replacing regular salt with a lower sodium alternative is relatively cheap, and the researchers didn’t find any apparent adverse effects, so they hope policymakers and the food industry consider making the switch.