Have We Underestimated the Effects of Sodium Excess on the Health of the Public?

Abstract

Americans consume a diet with a salt content up to 10 times that recommended for optimal health. This excess intake results in high rates of cardiovascular disease, stroke, heart failure, and kidney disease that do not occur in cultures with lower sodium intakes. Although the effects of excess sodium on population health have been demonstrated across study designs, proposals to reduce sodium content in commercially available foods continue to be met with opposition despite findings that reducing the content of salt in many foods does not reduce palatability. Development of a public health policy is supported by recommendations for dietary sodium reduction from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the World Health Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization. Nursing will play an essential role in this policy initiative by using strategies at the public health level including surveillance, educational programs, liaison work with the food industry, and evaluation of programs and outcomes.