The medical community is very aware of the sodium-health connection… here are some statistics that may surprise you:

High blood pressure (hypertension)
  • More than 50 million Americans (1 in 4) and 1 billion worldwide have high blood pressure. 35% of all people with hypertension are not aware of their condition.
  • More than half of all women over 60 have high blood pressure.
    1 in 3 African Americans over the age of 18 suffers from hypertension (twice that of the general population).
  • 20% of deaths among black Americans are due to high blood pressure.
  • Americans have a 90% chance of eventually developing high blood pressure.
  • Hypertension is a major contributor to the development of cardiovascular disease, stroke and renal failure.
Heart disease
  • 1 in 2 men will get heart disease
  • 1 in 3 women will get heart disease
  • Heart disease is the #1 killer of American women
  • Heart attacks and strokes kill twice as many women as all types of cancer combined
  • 1 in 30 women under 45 has some form of heart disease, between 45-64 that increases to 1 in 9, and 1 in 3 after 65
Stroke
  • Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the U.S.
  • The risk of stroke nearly doubles after age 55
  • High blood pressure is the most important risk for stroke
  • Lowering blood pressure 5 points can reduce the risk of stroke by 42%
  • Cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and other related diseases such as diabetes, put a person at higher risk for a stroke
Cholesterol
  • More than 65 million Americans have high cholesterol (1 in 5)
  • Saturated fats and trans fats are the main dietary factors in raising blood cholesterol
Salt Intake
  • Americans consume 4,000-6,000mg sodium per day – two to three times more than the recommended level of 1,500mg – 2,200mg
  • The saltshaker contributes less than 15% of the salt we consume, the majority comes from processed and convenience foods
  • The incidence of stroke, osteoporosis and renal stones is lower in people with lower salt intake