Kluge (WHO), 10 thousand deaths per day from cardiovascular diseases. Salt abuse is included in the index: target -25% by 2030 and recommendations for countries | Healthcare24

«Four million, a staggering figure, is the number of deaths caused by cardiovascular diseases every year, mainly among men, particularly in the eastern part of the WHO region. These are the facts, but it is something we can change. We know what works, but we once again fail to implement evidence-based approaches, resulting in unacceptably high levels of avoidable deaths.” Thus the director of the European region of the WHO, the World Health Organization, Henri Kluge, commenting on the latest report on the abuse of salt, a source of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. “The implementation of targeted policies to reduce salt intake by 25% – warns Kluge – could save around 900,000 lives from cardiovascular diseases by 2030”.
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of disability and premature death in the European region, causing more than 42.5% of all deaths each year. That means 10,000 deaths every day.
According to the new WHO Europe report “Action on salt and hypertension”, an integrated approach is needed to reduce salt intake and improve the detection and control of hypertension to protect people’s health. Most people in the WHO European Region consume too much salt and more than one in three adults aged 30 to 79 suffer from hypertension. High salt intake increases blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes.
Almost all countries in the European region (52 out of 53) have an average daily salt consumption above the WHO recommended maximum level of 5 g (about one teaspoon) per day. Excessive salt consumption is the main factor of hypertension and, consequently, death from heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases, warn the WHO. Pointing out that street food and processed foods are often the main culprits. While regulating the amount of salt in processed foods can potentially have a positive impact on people’s health. High blood pressure is the main risk factor for death and disability in the European region, causing almost a quarter of deaths and 13% of disabilities. It usually has no symptoms and, if left uncontrolled, can have potentially devastating consequences such as heart attacks and strokes. The European region has the highest prevalence of blood pressure in the world.
WHO Europe recommendations. The new report from WHO Europe promotes an integrated approach to reduce salt intake and better control hypertension levels. Measures that “can save thousands of lives every day across the European region. We know what works and evidence-based interventions and tools that reduce salt intake and control hypertension are available, but many countries are unable to implement them.”
Decision makers, the Organization warns, can take more incisive actions to break these barriers and guarantee better health for people:
• Introduce mandatory policies to reduce salt intake. Population-level measures are needed to reduce salt intake towards the WHO recommended maximum. This includes setting mandatory limits on the amount of salt in commonly consumed foods, including packaged foods and foods served in retail outlets and canteens; mandatory front-of-pack labels to help consumers make informed, healthier choices; and public awareness campaigns to support behavior change to reduce salt consumption in the population.
• Resisting industry opposition. Salt reduction at the population level highlights the opposing fundamental interests of public health and the food industry. From the food industry’s perspective, high-salt foods tend to yield the most profits. But the fact is that these foods put customers’ health at risk. Population-wide salt reduction through mandatory reformulation produces rapid results, is feasible, saves costs and ultimately saves lives.
• Treat hypertension effectively. Hypertension should be diagnosed and managed with standardized treatment protocols and team care in primary care settings. It is crucial to improve access to essential medicines and medical devices for people diagnosed with hypertension.
• Improve guidelines. Evidence shows that simplified, user-friendly guidelines relevant to local clinical situations are more likely to be put in place.
• Improve patient knowledge. Evidence says that improving patient knowledge about hypertension, its complications and the effectiveness of treatment improves adherence to medications to treat hypertension.
• Adopt a patient-centered approach. Prioritizing what matters to the patient can also improve adherence.
• Implement a gender-sensitive policy. This may help address inequalities in the detection and control of hypertension.
• Strengthen supply chain resilience. Improving supply chain resilience against emergencies ensures uninterrupted processing.