Excessive salt consumption contributes to 10,000 deaths from heart disease across Europe every day, with Britons consuming almost double the safe level, a report warns.
The World Health Organization found that 52 of the 53 countries in its European region consume too much salt, including the UK.
It recommends that adults eat no more than 5g of salt per day, which is about one teaspoon.
But figures show Brits typically consume 8.4g a day, ranking 39th among the countries studied and more than food-loving France.
Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are the countries that consume the most, with 17.2 g per day, and Malta the least, with 4.92 g.
The World Health Organization recommends that adults consume no more than 5g of salt per day, which is equivalent to about one teaspoon. Meanwhile, NHS guidelines recommend eating no more than 6g a day, or about a teaspoon. This is the equivalent amount of what is found in 17 packets of potato chips.
Eating too much salt is the leading cause of increased blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Health officials say processed foods and street food, such as that purchased from supermarkets, takeaways and trendy market vendors, are often the main “culprits”.
High blood pressure is the leading risk factor for death and disability in Europe, causing almost a quarter of deaths and 13 percent of disabilities.
It usually has no symptoms, so regular check-ups are vital.
People with high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, may be given medications and lifestyle advice to help control it.
More than one in three (36.9 percent) adults aged 30 to 79 in Europe suffer from this condition, a higher figure than in any other region in the world.
However, the UK has the second lowest rate on the continent at 26.4 per cent. Switzerland ranks lowest at 21.9 percent and Belarus and Poland highest at 49.2 percent.
Just over one in three people (34 percent) with hypertension do not know they have it.
Cardiovascular diseases are the predominant cause of disability and premature death in the European Region, causing more than 42.5 percent of all deaths annually.
This equates to almost 4 million a year, or 10,000 a day.
According to the WHO report “Action on Salt and Hypertension”, men in the Region are almost 2.5 times more likely to die from cardiovascular diseases (CVD) than women.
Salt consumption is higher in men than in women in 47 of the countries.
The report calls for more measures to reduce salt consumption and improve the detection and control of hypertension to protect people’s health.
Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, said: “Cardiovascular diseases and hypertension are largely preventable and controllable.”
‘Four million, a staggering figure, is the number of deaths caused by cardiovascular diseases each year, mainly in men, particularly in the eastern part of our WHO region.
‘These are the facts, but this is something we can change.
‘We know what works, but time and time again we fail to implement evidence-based approaches, resulting in unacceptably high levels of preventable deaths.
“Implementing targeted policies to reduce salt consumption by 25 percent could save approximately 900,000 lives due to cardiovascular disease by 2030.”
The WHO urged countries to introduce mandatory policies to reduce salt consumption, such as restrictions on the amount of salt products can legally contain.
It wants public awareness campaigns to highlight the dangers and encourage people to reduce their consumption and improve access to blood pressure checks and medicines.
The NHS website says people can check their blood pressure at their local GP, as well as some pharmacies and workplaces.
It is also possible to check your own blood pressure using a monitor at home, he adds.
Graham MacGregor, professor of cardiovascular medicine at Queen Mary University of London and chair of campaign group Action on Salt, said: “High blood pressure is the leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for more than 50 per cent of accidents. strokes and heart diseases. .
According to the WHO report “Action on Salt and Hypertension”, men in the Region are almost 2.5 times more likely to die from cardiovascular diseases (CVD) than women. Salt consumption is higher in men than in women in 47 of the countries
‘It is the silent killer that does not present symptoms. The only way to know your blood pressure is to measure it.
‘The main factor, as we age, is our high salt consumption, especially considering that more than 80 percent of salt is already found in foods added by the food industry.
‘The only way to reduce it is to get the food industry to slowly reduce the salt it adds.
‘In the early 2000s, the UK was the first country to get the food industry to reduce the huge amounts of salt added to food.
‘However, the Conservative government let this very successful policy lapse.
‘Each reduction of one gram/day in the population’s salt consumption prevents more than 4,000 premature deaths per year.
“The time has come for this government to resurrect this policy and enforce salt reduction targets.”
Meanwhile, John Maingay, director of policy and influence at the British Heart Foundation, said: “At least 10.6 million people in the UK have been diagnosed with high blood pressure by their GP, and up to 5.4 millions of adults could go undiagnosed.”
‘High blood pressure is associated with around 50 per cent of heart attacks and strokes in the UK.
‘As up to 85 percent of the salt we consume is already found in the foods we buy, it is difficult for a person to reduce their salt intake.
“There are clear reasons to help people eat healthier by removing salt from food before it ends up on our plates.
“If the food industry does not reduce the salt content of its products, the Government will have to intervene to protect the health of future generations.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson also said: “This Government has already taken significant steps to reduce cardiovascular disease and its causes, but we know there is more to do.”
“We are committed to ensuring people in the UK can eat healthier, which is why we have set strong and clear targets for all sectors of the food industry to reduce salt in a wide range of products we all eat. days.
“Thanks to the program, the amount of salt in some foods has been reduced by around 20 percent since 2006.”