This summer, the New York City Department of Health and the American Heart Association brought together 34 of the worlds leading nutrition scientists and epidemiologists to tackle the link between dietary sodium and heart disease. The experts issued a joint statement concluding that the evidence is clear. Population-wide reduction of sodium intake is an integral approach to reducing cardiovascular disease events and mortality in the United States. They cited a compelling body of evidence from laboratory, clinical and population research.
The group included Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, DrPH, recently named dean of Tufts Friedman School, and Alice H. Lichtenstein, DSc, director of Tufts HNRCA Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory.
The statement comes in advance of long-awaited voluntary guidelines expected to be issued by the US Food and Drug Administration for gradual reductions in sodium content in foods.