Switch the salt and reduce your risk of stroke

Letter to the editor:

Switch the salt and reduce your risk of stroke

In the UK more than ten million people have been diagnosed with high blood pressure. And for every ten people diagnosed with high blood pressure, seven may remain undiagnosed and untreated.

That’s extremely worrying to our charity as high blood pressure is one of the leading causes of stroke.

One of the ways to reduce blood pressure is to reduce your sodium intake. Most of this sodium is in the salt we eat and that’s why we’re proud to support Season with Sense, a public health campaign which aims to drive down consumer sodium intake.

The good news is that by making small changes to our diet – such as cutting the amount or type of salt - we can greatly reduce our risk of serious health issues.

If you find it hard to cut out salt completely, there are alternatives to regular table, sea and rock salts such as LoSalt® which has two thirds less sodium without any taste compromise. Find out more at www.seasonwithsense.com.

When you’re out shopping, watch out for the special tubs of LoSalt® on sale in supermarkets. For every tub sold a 20p donation will be made to help fund the vital work we do to support stroke survivors and carers.

The tubs will also have information attached to help shoppers understand the FAST test. Face, Arms, Speech, are the most common signs that someone is having a stroke. Time tells you that Stroke is a medical emergency and you must phone 999 straight away. We are thrilled that this vital information will be getting into the hands of 150,000 people.

Please do note that if you take some types of medication that affect potassium levels, LoSalt® and other reduced sodium salt alternatives may not be suitable for you. This includes people receiving medication for diabetes, heart or kidney disorders. Check with your GP for advice.

Juliet Bouverie OBE

Chief Executive

The Stroke Association