As heart disease and stroke were the world’s number one killer, causing 17.5 million deaths every year, eating half a teaspoon less of salt each day could save millions of lives, Dr. S Balaji of the private Sri Ramakrishna Hospital, said on “World Heart Day”, organised on September 28.

There are several factors which increased the risk of developing high blood pressure, including excessive consumption of salt, he said.

“However, by adopting lifestyle changes hypertension is controllable,’ Balaji said.

Avoiding foods high in salt, refraining from adding salt and being aware of the salt content of food in restaurants and processed foods, could potentially reduce salt consumption by three grams a day, he suggesed.

High blood pressure or hypertension was the biggest single risk factor for heart disease and stroke and currently affected more than billion people worldwide, Balaji said. By 2025, it was estimated more than 1.5 million people, or nearly one in three adults over the age of 25, would have high blood pressure, he said.

“Not many of us are aware, whether our own lifestyle and heritage could be contributing to our risk of developing heart disease and stroke.It is never too early and never too late to start taking care of your heart,” Balaji said.

Atherosclerotic coronary artery disease has assumed epidemic proportion in urban and semiurban areas, Dr Rajpal K Abhaichand, Fellow Interventional cardiologist of G K N M Hospital, said.

Unfortunately, a large number of young people in their productive years were affected by the malady, which has a crippling effect on the social fabric and economy of the Nation, Rajpal said.

Public awareness should be an integral part of a preventive cardiology programme, he said.

Lifestyle management should be stressed including total cessation of smoking and tobacco in all its forms, the aggressive control of diabetes, regular exercise of about 40-45 minutes a day and alteration in dietary habits, Rajpal said.

Eighty per cent of the victims of heart disease were from low and middle income countries, Balaji said.

However, the good news was that heart disease was largely preventable and that simple, affordable steps could be taken to reduce the major risk factors, he said.

Controlling these risk factors helped the heart age more slowly and dramatically reduced the risk of heart disease, Balaji said.