Review says salt not responsible for heart attacks

Cutting down on salt could have little to no effect on the reduction of risk of heart disease.

This is the major finding from a review published by The Cochrane Collaboration this week, which states that while a large intake of salt is still proven to increase blood pressure, there is no evidence to suggest that it increases the risk of cardiovascular (heart) disease.

A summary of the research said: “There was not enough information to understand the effect of [the reduction of] salt intake on deaths or cardiovascular disease. Further research is needed to confirm our finding that dietary advice to reduce salt may increase deaths in people with heart failure.”

Professor Rod Taylor, of the University of Exeter, employed a team of researchers to review data on salt intake and rates of illnesses or fatalities relating to the heart of 6,500 people. The review concluded that there was not enough evidence on which to base recommendations for the daily intake of salt.