Reduce salt intake, boost heart health

MANILA, Philippines – High blood pressure affects over 1.5 billion people around the world, and excess salt intake is a major factor in raising blood pressure.

Halving daily salt intake could save approximately 2.5 million people a year dying from strokes and heart attacks worldwide.

To support World Hypertension Day, and this year’s theme of “Salt and High Blood Pressure: Two Silent Killers,” the Philippine Society of Hypertension (PSH), the Philippine Heart Association (PHA), the Philippine Society of Nephrology (PSN) and the Department of Health (DOH), in collaboration with Novartis Healthcare Philippines, are holding a Low-Salt Recipe Contest and other public awareness campaigns. 

The PSH, a country member of the World Hypertension League, PHA, PSN, DOH and Novartis Healthcare Philippines led the country’s celebration of World Hypertension Day to raise awareness on the link between dietary salt intake and high blood pressure and the complications.

Excessive salt intake raises blood pressure, which is the number one risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the world’s number one cause of death worldwide.

Reducing daily salt intake by half could save approximately 2.5 million people a year dying from strokes and heart attacks worldwide.     

“Recognizing the heavy disease burden of hypertension on Filipinos, President Arroyo has signed Proclamation No. 1761 declaring May of each year National Hypertension Awareness Month,” PSH president Dr. Abdias Aquino said.

The proclamation enjoins all government and non-governmental agencies such as the DOH and the Department of Social Welfare and Development to work with the PSH in advocating and implementing activities to prevent and control hypertension and its complications. 

The Low-Salt Recipe Contest “aims to increase public awareness on how everyday Filipino dishes can be made delectable and healthy even with minimal use of salt,” said Christine Liwanag, corporate affairs and market access director of Novartis Healthcare Philippines. 

“The evidence that links salt to blood pressure is as strong as that linking cigarette smoking to cancer, heart and kidney diseases,” said Dr. Lynn Gomez, past PSN president.

In many countries, the daily salt intake is around 12g — more than double the amount considered necessary by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Research has shown that, in addition, to restricting salt intake there are a number of lifestyle changes such as exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight and eating healthy foods lower in salt, which can contribute to prevention of high blood pressure and reduction of cardiovascular risk.

“Novartis is proud to support World Hypertension Day for the third year running,” said Dr. Francis Domingo, chief scientific officer of Novartis Healthcare Philippines.

“Through the innovative Kaagapay program, Filipino patients can improve access to Novartis’ blood pressure-lowering medications which will help promote compliance and treatment success,” he said.

Novartis is focused on improving the lives of the hundreds of millions of people with cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.

As a global leader in cardiovascular and metabolic health for nearly 50 years, Novartis provides innovative therapies and support programs to treat high blood pressure and diabetes — both major public health issues.

The portfolio includes the world’s most-prescribed angiotensin receptor blocker, the first and only approved direct renin inhibitor, a single pill combining two leading high blood pressure medicines, and a novel DPP-4 inhibitor.

Novartis is dedicated to helping physicians and patients through effective medicines, programs and an ongoing commitment to research.

World Hypertension Day, initiated by the World Hypertension League in 2005, is an international event with public activities taking place around the world to raise awareness of the health importance of good blood pressure control.

World Hypertension Day is supported globally by Novartis. For more information, log on to www.novartis.com.ph. For inquiries, call the Philippine Society of Hypertension at 631-7970.