
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, April 5, 1991                   TAG: 9104050039
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: LONDON                                LENGTH: Short

STUDY LINKS SALT, BLOOD PRESSURE/ RESEARCHERS URGE ALL TO CUT SODIUM

Salt has a greater link to high blood pressure than previous studies have indicated, and even those not at risk should cut their salt intake by about one-third, researchers say in this week's British Medical Journal.

Researchers surveyed 78 studies involving 47,000 people to make the connection, which had been disputed in a number of recent studies.

"The bottom line is that everyone, even if their doctor didn't tell them they were at high risk for heart disease, should reduce the amount of salt in their diets by at least 3 grams [half a teaspoon] a day," said. Dr. Malcolm Law, who directed the review.

In people over 50, he said that reduction would bring down blood pressure by about five millimeters of mercury in healthy people, and by seven millimeters in hypertensive people.

Hypertension, or persistently high blood pressure, has been associated with an increased risk of stroke and heart attacks. About 32 million people in the United States are hypertensive.

The upper limit for normal blood pressure is considered about 140 millimeters of mercury systolic and 90 millimeters of mercury diastolic, more frequently expressed as "140 over 90."

Law said low-salt diets would save one in five people from strokes, one in six from heart disease, and one in two from needing anti-hypertensive drugs.

by CNB