These public health interventions could prevent millions of premature deaths

To reduce the incidence of premature death from cardiovascular disease (CVD), people must maintain lower blood pressure, cut sodium intake, and eliminate trans fat from their diet, suggests a new study. Researchers estimated that scaling up treatment of high blood pressure to 70 per cent of the world's population could extend the lives of 39.4 million people. Cutting sodium intake by 30 per cent could stave off another 40 million deaths and could also help decrease high blood pressure, a major risk factor for CVD and eliminating trans fat could prevent 14.8 million early deaths. More than half of all delayed deaths, and two-thirds of deaths delayed before age 70 are projected to be among men, who have the highest numbers of non communicable disease deaths globally, researchers found. Regions expected to benefit most from the interventions include East Asia, the Pacific, and South Asia, as well as countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The authors said that a variety of programmes and policies would be necessary to reduce premature CVD-related deaths. One important strategy would be to increase the use of blood pressure medications, many of which are safe and affordable.