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World Action on Salt and Health - WASH
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Media Release
Global push to reduce salt intakes
February 2 , 2009 Health experts from 28 countries around
the world are joining together this week (February 2 – 8) to urge people to eat
less salt for the good of their health.
World Salt Awareness Week, lead by World Action on Salt and
Health (WASH) will be taking place in Australia, Bangladesh, Barbados, Botswana,
Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cuba, Dubai, Egypt, Finland, Georgia, India,
Italy, Kenya, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, Poland,
Portugal, Slovakia, Sweden, Turkey, UK and the USA.
In Barbados the focus for the week will be on increasing
consumer awareness of the link between a high salt diet and increased risk of
the incidence of strokes and heart attacks; foods eaten outside of the home and
encouraging chefs in restaurants and food stalls to add less salt to their food
as they cook.
“Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death
and disability worldwide,” [Ref. 1] says Professor Graham MacGregor, Chairman of
WASH and Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine. [Ref. 2] “Eating too much salt
puts up our blood pressure, which is the major risk factor of CVD, leading to
millions of unnecessary deaths each year. If we reduce our salt intake by just a
few grammes a day, we can all reduce our risk of heart disease and stroke.”
[Ref. 3]
“The UK has demonstrated that publicising the health risks
of a high salt diet and working with the food industry to reduce the amount of
salt they add to foods leads to reductions in salt intake at a population
level,” says Katharine Jenner, WASH Co-ordinator. “And the message is getting
out around the world that this is a simple and cheap way to save lives. It’s not
often that countries from all over the globe join together in this way,
demonstrating that salt reduction is becoming a world-wide issue.”
“Here in Barbados our emphasis will be the start of a
campaign to publisice the link between salt consumption and the risk of heart
disease and strokes,” says Adrian Randall, CEO of the Heart & Stroke Foundation
of Barbados. “We are publishing a new educational leaflet ‘What is Sodium?”
which will list those foods that are high in salt content and those which are
better choices. The leaflet also provides tips on how to choose low salt foods
when eating out.”[Ref. 4]
For more information, please contact:
• Adrian Randall on 437 3312 or 826 8825, adrianrandall@hsfbarbados.org
• Professor Graham MacGregor on: 011 44 20 8725 2848 or 011 44 7946 405617,
gmacgreg@sgul.ac.uk
References
1. Karppanen H, Mervaala E. Sodium intake and mortality.
Lancet. 1998;351:1509.
2 World Action on Salt and Health (WASH) was established in
2005 and is a global group with the mission to improve the health of populations
throughout the world by achieving a gradual reduction in salt intake. WASH has
360 members from 80 countries http://www.worldactiononsalt.com/
3 Cook NR, Cutler JA, Obarzanek E, Buring JE, Rexrode KM,
Kumanyika SK, et al. Long term effects of dietary sodium reduction on
cardiovascular disease outcomes: observational follow-up of the trials of
hypertension prevention (TOHP). BMJ. 2007; 334:885.
4 “What is Sodium?” educational leaflet available from the
Heart & Stroke Foundation of Barbados Inc #3 Railway View, Ladymeade Gardens,
Jemmotts Lane, St. Michael.
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