Studies since the early 1900s have shown the link between excessive salt intake and raised blood pressure. Excessive salt damages the elasticity of the arteries, causing arterial stiffness and increasing blood pressure. The evidence that links excessive salt to increased blood pressure is as strong as that which links cigarette smoking to cancer and heart disease.³

The effects of salt on blood pressure are especially acute in populations of African or Caribbean descent, and reduction of salt intake in these individuals has a greater effect compared to the white population.⁴

It would be worth explaining to patients that reducing salt down to 5-6g per day is as effective as single drug therapy. Reducing salt intake to less than 6g daily leads to a 45 per cent reduction in stroke and a 35 per cent reduction in heart disease.³