[ad_1]
New south Wales [Australia]January 26 (ANI): An international panel of experts published a suggestion in the scientific journal Hypertension published by the American Heart Association, calling for the inclusion of low-sodium potassium-fortified salt in hypertension treatment guidelines.
High levels of sodium intake and low levels of potassium are widespread, and both are linked to high blood pressure (hypertension) and an increased risk of stroke, heart disease, and premature death. Using a salt substitute in which some of the sodium chloride is replaced with potassium chloride solves both problems at once.
Professor Alta Schutte from the George Institute for Global Health and UNSW Sydney said that despite data from randomized controlled trials demonstrating the health benefits of potassium-enriched, reduced sodium salt substitutes, they are rarely used. they use.
“We found that current clinical guidelines provide incomplete and inconsistent recommendations on the use of these salt substitutes,” he said.
“Given the large amount of evidence available, we believe it is time to include salt substitutes in treatment guidelines to help address rising rates of uncontrolled high blood pressure worldwide and reduce preventable deaths.”
Potassium-enriched salt can be used as a direct replacement for common salt (sodium chloride) when seasoning, preserving or manufacturing foods. Importantly, while other salt reduction strategies make foods taste less salty, most people don’t notice the switch to potassium-enriched salt.
“Unwanted taste effects are the main reason why efforts to reduce salt consumption have failed for more than two decades. Patients’ willingness to continue using potassium-enriched salt removes that barrier, so it may change the rules of the game,” said the professor, Schutte added.
A global collaboration of researchers from the US, Australia, Japan, South Africa and India reviewed 32 different guidelines for the treatment of hypertension (two from global organizations, five from regional organizations and 25 from national organizations) published between January 1 2013 and June 21, 2023.
They found that all of the guidelines referred to sodium reduction and most recommended reducing salt intake. Many also recommended increasing dietary potassium intake, but only two (the Chinese and European guidelines) made a specific recommendation for the use of potassium-fortified salt.
Dr. Tom Frieden, president and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, a global public health organization focused on preventing 100 million deaths from cardiovascular disease, said the number of people living with hypertension has doubled in the last 30 years. years to around 1.3 billion.
“High blood pressure kills more than ten million people every year, almost 20 people every minute. Twenty percent of these deaths can be linked to a single culprit: eating too much salt,” he said. “Based on the evidence, there is little doubt that most patients with hypertension and their families should reduce their overall salt intake and, when they decide to consume salt, they should switch from regular salt to potassium-fortified salt. This will help reduce blood pressure and protect against serious complications such as stroke and premature death.
Dr. Frieden emphasized the necessary change in our food environment. “As a society, we must prioritize the availability and accessibility of low-sodium, potassium-enriched salts, at home, in restaurants, and in grocery stores. These products should not be marketed or priced as a luxury. Enriched salt can become the new standard.
Another barrier to absorption has been concerns about causing high blood potassium levels (hyperkalemia) in people with advanced kidney disease.
Professor Bruce Neal, chief executive of the George Institute Australia and professor of clinical epidemiology at Imperial College London, said it is clear that patients with advanced kidney disease should not use potassium-enriched salts, but this applies to a very high proportion. small of the population. , and these patients are already recommended to avoid salt consumption.
“No serious problems from hyperkalemia have been reported in any of the trials to date, although all were conducted in clinical settings. Our recommendation for use in hypertension is based on patients treated by a healthcare worker. Healthcare workers know who do not recommend potassium – Enriched salt can be avoided in the presence of kidney disease and the risks for these patients.
The authors argued that since potassium-fortified salt is one of the few dietary interventions that patients adhere to long-term, it is logical to at least consider the use of potassium-fortified salt for all those with hypertension.
“We strongly encourage clinical guideline bodies to review their recommendations on the use of potassium-fortified salt substitutes as soon as possible: if the world switched from using regular salt to potassium-fortified salt, millions of strokes and heart attacks every year at a very good rate. low cost,” added Professor Schutte. (ME TOO)