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26/01/2005
Older people urged to cut salt intake
Older people could cut their risk of a stroke by up to a third and their chances of having a heart attack by almost a quarter by reducing the amount of salt in their diet, the Northern Ireland Chest, Heart and Stroke Association (NICHSA) said today.
Speaking on National Salt Awareness Day on Wednesday, NICHSA Director of Health, Myrtle Neill said that despite health education initiatives, many people were still unaware of salt’s effects on health.
“In addition to this, it’s important to remember that the effects of salt increase as we get older,” Ms Neill said. “This is the time of life when we are most at risk from heart attack and stroke anyway, so too much salt can sometimes be a death sentence.”
Around a thousand people die each year in Northern Ireland because of the effects of one of the world’s commonest food seasonings.
Salt raises blood pressure and increases the risk of heart attack or stroke and has also been linked to stomach cancer, osteoporosis and kidney problems. Most of the salt consumed, however, is “hidden” in processed foods, the charity said.
The NICHSA said it was advising people to be alert about how much they are consuming, and to limit this amount to six grams per day.
(MB/SP)
Speaking on National Salt Awareness Day on Wednesday, NICHSA Director of Health, Myrtle Neill said that despite health education initiatives, many people were still unaware of salt’s effects on health.
“In addition to this, it’s important to remember that the effects of salt increase as we get older,” Ms Neill said. “This is the time of life when we are most at risk from heart attack and stroke anyway, so too much salt can sometimes be a death sentence.”
Around a thousand people die each year in Northern Ireland because of the effects of one of the world’s commonest food seasonings.
Salt raises blood pressure and increases the risk of heart attack or stroke and has also been linked to stomach cancer, osteoporosis and kidney problems. Most of the salt consumed, however, is “hidden” in processed foods, the charity said.
The NICHSA said it was advising people to be alert about how much they are consuming, and to limit this amount to six grams per day.
(MB/SP)
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