According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular diseases cause four out of ten deaths in Europe, or 10,000 deaths per day and 4 million per year. This is due in particular to an average daily salt consumption above the maximum level recommended by the WHO of five grams (one teaspoon), mainly because of processed foods and snacking.
Cardiovascular diseases are the cause of four out of ten deaths in Europe, or 10,000 deaths per day and 4 million per year, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Wednesday, urging Europeans to eat less salt. “Implementing targeted policies aimed at reducing salt consumption by 25% could save around 900,000 lives due to cardiovascular diseases by 2030,” said Hans Kluge, regional director of WHO Europe cited in a statement.
In Europe, one in three adults between 30 and 79 years old suffers from hypertension
On the Old Continent, one in three adults between 30 and 79 years old suffers from hypertension, and it is often because of their salt consumption. Fifty-one of the region’s 53 countries have average daily salt intake above the WHO recommended maximum level of five grams (one teaspoon), mainly due to processed food and snacking. “High salt intake increases blood pressure, which is one of the main risk factors for cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes,” the WHO said.
Europe has the highest blood pressure prevalence in the world. According to the organization, men in the region – which extends to Central Asia – have a more than double the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease than women. In addition, the divide is also geographical: the probability of dying young (between 30 and 69 years) from a disease of this type is almost five times higher in Eastern Europe and Central Asia than in Western Europe.