People who lower the amount of salt in their diets by using a salt substitute may significantly decrease the risk of developing high blood pressure, a study published Monday suggests. The report, in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, analyzed data from hundreds of men and women, ages 55 and older, who were in elder care facilities in China. The data came from an earlier, larger study, called DECIDE-Salt, which included 1,612 participants.
Diastolic — the bottom number — is the pressure in the arteries between heart beats. 'High blood pressure is a leading contributor to deaths worldwide,” said Dr. Deepak Gupta, an associate professor of medicine in the division of cardiovascular medicine at the Vanderbilt Medical Center. “Diet is clearly a contributor,” he said.