Recent Blog Articles

Corneal transplants becoming more common

An emerging treatment option for men on active surveillance

Gun violence: A long-lasting toll on children and teens

Adult female acne: Why it happens and the emotional toll

Talking to your doctor about your LGBTQ+ sex life

Untangling grief: Living beyond a great loss

Thunderstorm asthma: Bad weather, allergies, and asthma attacks

Heart problems and the heat: What to know and do

I’m too young to have Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, right?

Period equity: What it is and why it matters
Heart Health
Switching to a salt substitute may reduce stroke risk
- By Julie Corliss, Executive Editor, Harvard Heart Letter
Research we're watching
Swapping regular table salt (sodium chloride) with a salt substitute containing some potassium chloride may lower the risk of strokes and related heart problems, according to a large study from China.
Diets high in sodium but low in potassium are known to raise blood pressure and increase the risk of heart disease (including stroke) and early death.
For the study, researchers recruited nearly 21,000 adults from rural villages in China and gave half of them a salt substitute that contained 25% potassium chloride. The others were told to keep using regular salt. Their average age was 65; most had high blood pressure, and 73% had already experienced a stroke.
After a follow-up of nearly five years, rates of strokes, major heart-related problems, and deaths were slightly lower among the people using the salt substitutes. And elevated potassium levels (a potentially worrisome side effect) were not more common among those using the substitutes. The study was published Sept. 16, 2021, in The New England Journal of Medicine.
Image: Sebalos/Getty Images
Disclaimer:
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.
No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
You might also be interested in…

Stroke: Strategies to prevent, treat, and recover from a "brain attack"
Protect your brain: That’s the strategy that Harvard doctors recommend in this report on preventing and treating stroke. Whether you’ve already had a mini-stroke or a major stroke, or have been warned that your high blood pressure might cause a future stroke, Stroke: Strategies to prevent, treat, and recover from a "brain attack" provides help and advice.
Free Healthbeat Signup
Get the latest in health news delivered to your inbox!