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Stroke

The INTERSALT study involved 11 countries in Europe. The frequency of stroke deaths was significantly correlated with the nation's average salt intake (r = 0.83, p <0.001). There was a fourfold difference in deaths from stroke coupled with a 3 g per day difference in salt intake. This correlation was stronger than that between systolic pressure and stroke death rate, and this finding was consistent with other evidence suggesting that a high salt intake has detrimental effects beyond that of raising blood pressure (Stamler, 1997). Those effects include increased arterial stiffness, left ventricular mass and platelet stickiness.