On Wednesday, the WHO reported that Cardiovascular disease causes 40 percent of deaths in Europe, and they urged Europeans to reduce their salt intake. This equates to 10,000 deaths a day, or four million a year.
In a statement, Hans Kluge, the director of the Europe branch of the World Health Organization, stated, “Implementing targeted policies to reduce salt intake by 25 percent could save an estimated 900,000 lives from cardiovascular diseases by 2030”.
In Europe, one out of three persons aged 30 to 79 has hypertension, often caused by excessive salt consumption.
51 of the 53 nations in the WHO’s European region have an average daily salt intake above the WHO’s recommended limit of five grammes, or one teaspoon, owing primarily to processed foods and snacks.
“High salt intake raises blood pressure, which is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes”, the WHO continued.
WHO went on to say, “Europe has the highest blood pressure prevalence in the world”.
According to the WHO Europe research, men in the region are about 2.5 times more likely to die from cardiovascular diseases than women.
There is also a geographical divide: the risk of dying young (30-69 years) from cardiovascular disease is roughly five times higher in Eastern Europe and Central Asia than in Western Europe.
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