Could switching salt with an alternative reduce risk of stroke? Study reveals the truth

The study found that the use of a salt substitute led to a 14 per cent reduction in the risk of recurrent stroke and a 12 per cent reduction in mortality.

Switching regular salt with a substitute, having a lower sodium content, could reduce the risk of recurring stroke by up to 14 per cent and that of death by 12 per cent, a study has found.

Are salt substitutes better alternatives?

Regular salt is increasingly being recommended against for preventing heart disease, with the World Health Organization (WHO) advising a daily intake of under five grams of salt or about two grams of sodium.

Salt substitutes are alternatives containing potassium and lower levels of sodium.

Previous studies have shown that lowering sodium intake and supplementing potassium independently reduce one's blood pressure and potentially cardiovascular risks, including stroke, said researchers, including those from Wuhan University, China, and The George Institute for Global Health, Australia.

Salt Substitute and Stroke Study

For this study, published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Cardiology, the team analysed data collected from the 'SSaSS' trial.

The 'Salt Substitute and Stroke Study' trial began in 2014 and aimed to compare the effects of using a salt substitute -- 75 per cent sodium chloride, 25 per cent potassium chloride -- with those of regular salt (entirely sodium chloride).

Nearly 21,000 participants from 600 rural villages across five Chinese provinces were recruited. About three-fourths of the study group had a history of stroke, and almost 90 per cent were aged over 60 years with high blood pressure.

"The use of a salt substitute led to a 14 per cent reduction in the risk of recurrent stroke and a 12 per cent reduction in mortality," the authors wrote.

Recurring strokes were found to be significantly lower in the group taking the salt substitute (16.8 per cent), compared to the one taking salt (19 per cent).

Further, death risk related to stroke fell by 21 per cent, the authors found.

A simple dietary intervention of switching salt with a substitute, therefore, presents a cost-effective option for stroke survivors, the authors said.

The study provides direct evidence to inform public health strategies around the world, especially among people relying on food cooked at home using salt, they added.

"When scaled up and sustained over time, the simple intervention of salt substitution could significantly improve secondary prevention of stroke and cardiovascular health on a global scale," the authors wrote.