Oxford University

Cutting Salt in Everyday Foods Could Prevent Thousands of Heart Attacks and Strokes

Oxford researchers estimate that cutting salt in everyday UK foods could dramatically improve public health. Adults currently ingest about 6.1 g of salt per day; meeting the government’s 2024 target of 4.9 g would represent a 17 % reduction achieved without any change in consumer behaviour. The modelling predicts over 100,000 fewer heart‑disease cases, 25,000 fewer strokes, an additional 243,000 healthy‑life years and roughly £1 billion saved for the NHS over the next two decades. The team emphasizes that “small changes to the food system can deliver huge health gains,” noting that the benefit comes purely from industry reformulation rather than public diet advice. Policymakers and manufacturers therefore have a clear, low‑cost lever to curb cardiovascular disease, a template that could be replicated in other high‑salt markets worldwide.