Sodium summit

Experts gather in Alberta to discuss strategies to reduce global salt intake

International experts recently gathered in Calgary to discuss ways to reduce dietary salt consumption around the world.

The event was one of three Population Salt Reduction Strategy Platforms hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO). The platforms are designed to develop tools and resources to assist national programs in reducing their populations’ salt intake.

“The platform in Calgary, co-sponsored by the Government of Canada, focused on identifying how much salt is consumed, where in the diet the salt comes from and how to determine the effectiveness of national programs to reduce salt,” says Dr. Norm Campbell, chair of the Pan American Health Organization expert group to reduce dietary salt and general internist at the Foothills Medical Centre.

“Having the platform in Canada highlights the leadership and expertise that has been developed on this important health issue nationally and in Calgary.”

High dietary salt contributes to high blood pressure, which is the leading risk for cardiovascular-related deaths around the world. Globally, one in four adults has hypertension; in Canada, the figure is one in five.

The average Canadian adult consumes about 3,500 milligrams (mg) of sodium per day, which is 2,000 mg higher than the amount recommended by Health Canada.

The WHO indicates lowering salt intake is one of the most cost-effective ways of preventing cardiovascular disease.

“A reduction in sodium intake at a population level has the potential to dramatically reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease. We are delighted that Dr. Norm Campbell, an international expert in this field, was able to co-host his colleagues from around the world for this event,” says Dr. Todd Anderson, joint department head of Cardiac Sciences and director of the Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta.

In conjunction with the platform, the Libin Institute also hosted the one-day conference: Taming the Vascular Disease Epidemic—From Global to Local. Presentations and discussions featured international experts, national leaders and local champions who shared best practices on how health care providers can discuss vascular disease with their patients.

“The Libin Institute is honoured to be involved. By organizing the subsequent local cardiovascular prevention meeting following the WHO meeting, we are able to provide a global to local perspective on this important issue,” says Anderson.
 
The conference focused on how to apply international expertise to local medical practices.

“The Libin Institute's vascular health promotion conference provided an excellent opportunity for information exchange between Canadian and international leaders and (will) hopefully identify practices that can be implemented locally to the betterment of health for all Albertans," says Dr. Eldon Smith, chair of the Strategic Advisory Board of the Libin Institute.

Vascular diseases are responsible for more Canadian deaths than any other illness and, according to the Canadian Heart Health Strategy and Action Plan, cost the country more than $22 billion annually in health care and lost productivity.

For more information, visit www.vascularconf.ca.